Page 3466 - Week 10 - Thursday, 20 October 2022
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want to get involved in the park’s activities to get involved with the volunteer program. This is a program that I launched in December 2021. It provides an opportunity for users of the park to take part directly in the management of the trails, the development of new trails and trail shaping, and to give direct feedback on what is needed at the park, particularly with the contractor.
Sessions take place monthly and we are always keen to welcome new members into the group to have a direct, hands-on say in improving the park. I encourage those who are interested in making a difference to the park to get involved. I also know that there are members of the mountain biking community who also have really good ideas about how we can harness the future opportunities at Stromlo Park and how we can make sure that we harness the growing popularity of mountain biking. We are taking that feedback on board about what we can do to improve the precinct and looking at ways that we can identify future opportunities for the park, particularly when it comes to the actual tracks and trails.
Part of this is looking at tourism opportunities, encouraging more events in Canberra, major mountain biking events. I launched one myself at Stromlo Forest Park in the past few years. It is a great place for these types of events, but it can do so much more. I am really pleased to see that, whilst it continues to be a major venue, there is a lot of interest in how we can enhance it as a venue, going forward.
Today I am really pleased to say that we want to engage the Stromlo mountain biking community in improving the tracks and trails at Stromlo. Last week the Stromlo Forest Park executive director, after meeting with many of the user groups in the community, agreed that the ACT government would develop a Stromlo Forest Park trails master plan. Recent consultation has identified the need to prioritise and plan new trail infrastructure at Stromlo.
We have listened and we will develop that overarching master plan for tracks and trails which will guide the infrastructure development of tracks over the next five years. The master plan will identify missing trails at Stromlo, the opportunities and new trails that can be built, and the existing trails that need investment. We will engage directly with all mountain biking groups, and take on board feedback from the volunteer program and the wider community about trails at Stromlo Forest Park.
Future government investment will be implemented based on the park-wide master plan but also this new trails master plan. I want to assure the mountain biking community that, when we invest in car-parking facilities, when we invest in the Stromlo leisure centre, when we invest in new playing fields and improvements to the criterium track, we are not forgetting about the trials. We will be doing the trails master plan. I hope that that assures them that we can engage on what those opportunities are and what the opportunities for future investment are to enhance those mountain biking facilities at Stromlo.
We will get on with the work that we committed to do at the election, to deliver on Labor’s election commitment for a flow trail at Stromlo to the Cotter. I understand that the Greens had a similar election commitment as well, which is reflected in the PAGA. I understand that Minister Gentleman is developing the plans for this trial, which goes outside of the Stromlo Forest Park boundary but no doubt will be captured
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