SGSC Not Interested in Mountain Bikers and Tourists
Over the past weeks we have seen a large spread of reporting on the needs of Mountain Bikers in Bass Coast and then in the Herald Sun on Wed 9 there was a feature article on the popularity of Mountain Bikes and the great tourist activity it generates. That article mentioned that the Government is spending a further $1.57 million on trails in the Otways.
When we presented a case for some local mountain bike tracks at Walkerville the SGSC did not want to know about the possibilities. Even when they were given the info that in Derby, Tasmania, some 30,000 riders are visiting the town to ride its trails the SGSC was unmoved. Their response was the Gippsland Trails Strategy was for promotion of trails to be in Central and East Gippsland. Pity about those mountain bike riders who live in SGS or Bass Coast Shire.
The South Gippsland Council do not wish to acknowledge that the Mountain Bike Riders are a different cohort to those who ride the rail trail. The end result is SGSC says we are doing the rail trail and they can ride the trail. That is not how you satisfy the tourism market.
We have presented Council with the concept of a substantial trail network around the Walkerville bushland. There are already fire trails in that area so the creation of small, narrow mountain bike trails should all be possible. Most of that bushland is regenerating bushland as the early settlers logged out the area to fire the lime kilns at Walkerville. The elevation difference is comparable to that available at Derby.
We showed Council photographic evidence of the traffic congestion marked by user demand of the Lysterfield trails after the lifting of Melbourne travel restrictions. There is an ample number of riders within 2 hours of Walkerville. As well as the day trippers out for a ride there is enough to encourage some riders to spend longer in our Shire.
No action on mountain bikers is just part of the no action from South Gippsland Shire. There has been no action to promote the likes of Coal Creek, Wilsons Promontory or anything else in this Shire with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Is it because we have lost Prom Country Region Tourism (PCRT) and that there is now no local input into tourism promotion? It is now all too easy for Council staff to say that Destination Gippsland is the tourism body. The result is no mention of attractions in our Shire. Is there any desire for a PCRT Version 2? The SGSC definitely can do with more tourism promotion than what is currently being delivered.
Lindsay Love
Sec, SGAG
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