CESSNOCK City Council intends to unveil plans for its end of the Richmond Vale Rail Trail early next year.
With Newcastle council this week winning approval for the majority of its share of the planned 32-kilometre bike track, which runs between Shortland and Kurri Kurri mostly along the old Richmond Vale rail line, trail supporters have now turned their attention on Cessnock.
"It's time to get on with the western end of the project," longtime trail advocate Billy Metcalfe said this week.
Newcastle council's plans include include the main trail between Shortland and Stockrington and connections to Minmi and Fletcher.
West of Stockrington, about 2.7 kilometres of the trail dips into the Lake Macquarie council area, but the vast majority of it through to Kurri Kurri is in Cessnock.
Given Lake Macquarie council's section is between the Newcastle and Cessnock ends, it is unlikely to progress its planning until those sections look like going ahead.
A Lake Macquarie spokesman said the council was "supporting Cessnock council as they develop necessary plans and documentation" for the trail.
"We continue to support this project, are committed to seeing it come to fruition and will become more closely involved at the appropriate stage," he said.
Cessnock council approved a development application for a 100-metre section of the trail adjacent to Pambalong Nature Reserve earlier this year, a DA it last year received $75,000 in state funding to help prepare because the land is subject to the Coastal Management State Environmental Planning Policy.
However, it is still yet to publish any plans for the rest of the trail.
The council told the Newcastle Herald in July it expected to finalise "landowner engagement" in August and place a concept plan on public exhibition before the end of the year.
However, general manager Lotta Jackson said on Wednesday she now expects the plans to be published in the first half of next year.
"Council is progressing the exciting Richmond Vale Rail Trail project and expects landowner engagement will be finalised in February 2022," she said.
"The next steps will see a review of environmental factors, concept plan and supporting documentation go on public exhibition in March-April 2022."
The trail is in the Paterson and Newcastle federal electorates, and Wallsend and Cessnock state electorates.
