Qld Dept of Transport and Main Roads: Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Operations Management Plan At 161km in length, the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) is a major public recreational asset owned by the Qld Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR). It passes through four local government areas and is maintained by six different organisations. With six different trail managers operating independently, there was a need for a clear set of plans to ensure consistent outcomes.
The Rail Trails Team at DTMR realised they needed an overarching plan to guide consistent operations and maintenance across the entire trail. Blue Sky Trails were engaged to deliver this plan, and to complete the package of supporting documents for effective trail operations and maintenance. Key to this project was understanding the needs of stakeholders. Effective stakeholder consultation revealed that while the six trail managers may have differing priorities, all recognise the benefits and efficiencies to be gained from a consistent approach, and all were seeking clarity around responsibilities, communication, and trail specifications. The Blue Sky Trails team drew on their extensive trail management expertise and public sector experience to develop a concise, yet detailed Operations Maintenance Plan which featured:
- Specifications for the trail and related assets
- Sustainable trail principles
- Intervention levels and maintenance activities
- Emergency response and trail closure procedures
- Risks and opportunities register
- Roles, responsibilities and communications.
A key challenge with establishing an operations plan lies in providing sufficient detail to achieve consistency of results without being overly prescriptive; It needed to be practical and user-friendly. The BVRT Operations Maintenance Plan makes life easier for the people who operate and maintain the BVRT, but the real winners from this project are the trail-users and visitors to the region who can enjoy a premium, consistent experience from one end of the trail to the other
