Work is beginning today on the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails, which will result in a world-class mountain bike and family cycling park in regional Tasmania.
Once completed, there will be more than 100 kilometres of International Standard Mountain Biking Association standard trails constructed in the beautiful wilderness areas between the towns of Sheffield, Railton and Latrobe.
This is an exciting opportunity to attract national and international tourists to the North-West, with enormous economic and social benefits for the community.
It will add to Tasmania’s fast emerging reputation as a cycling mecca of Australia, with Blue Derby and Mount Wellington already drawing tens of thousands of visitors to our state.
Importantly, it will also help diversify the local economy, create jobs during construction, and once completed, have ongoing flow-on benefits for other local businesses.
Tasmania is a better place to live now and the Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to continuing to make Tasmanians’ lives even better through projects like this that increase recreational amenities.
The Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails project is a partnership between the Kentish and Latrobe Councils, and has received grant funding from the Tasmanian and Australian Governments.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is providing $1.2 million to the $4.1 million project, through our Tasmanian Cycle Tourism Fund.