Tweed Shire Council has awarded licences to operate three commercial shopfront spaces at the historical Murwillumbah Railway Station, at the head of the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
Councillors on Wednesday unanimously supported a recommendation to award the licences following a robust and competitive expression of interest and open tender process.
A total of 8 bids were received across the three outlets, plus one additional bid lodged for the Ground Precinct area at the station.
Following a stringent process, the evaluation panel recommended three businesses be awarded a contract to operate the respective commercial shopfront spaces. At the Council meeting on 13 December, Council resolved to proceed with offering licences to the following businesses:
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Shop 1 bike hire outlet – Better by Bike AU Pty Ltd
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Shop 2 café outlet – The Munch Bunch Pty Ltd
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Shop 4 bike hire outlet and tours – Cheeky Racing Pty Ltd
Fit out and installation of the retail outlets is expected to commence in early 2024. No licences were awarded for the Ground Precinct. Shop 3 will continue to operate as the Murwillumbah Visitor Information Centre, operated by The Tweed Tourism Company.
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry was excited to welcome the new products and experiences to service the Northern Rivers Rail Trail and thanked everyone who participated in the tender process.
"Since its opening in March, the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail has exceeded expectations and has quickly become one of the most popular drawcards for the region," Cr Cherry said.
"I'm certain the addition and diversity of these trail experiences at the beautiful Murwillumbah Railway Station will add to its popularity even further. It is also great news that these are all Northern Rivers' businesses which will service the Northern Rivers Rail Trail as it progresses connections to the ultimate 132 km distance in the years to come.
"I would like to thank all businesses that participated in the tendering process. The decision to award the licences was done in a fair, transparent and open tendering process, with the best outcome for the Tweed community at the forefront of the decision-making. These businesses will significantly contribute to the financially sustainable operations of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
"We want to acknowledge and thank Murwillumbah Cycles for their contribution to the Murwillumbah Railway Station and as early supporters of the Rail Trail. As one of many bike hire companies that service the NRRT at locations adjacent to the Rail Trail, we wish them every success at their Mooball location."
Further opportunity exists for businesses to partner with the Northern Rivers Rail Trail through its Connect Program.
