That’s all thanks to a $450,000 grant from the Regional Development Australia fund.

Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation chief executive officer Matt Burke has worked with Parklands Albury Wodonga community ranger Ant Packer and Wilson Transformers general manager Jon Retford to develop the project.

It involves improvements to the existing gravel 17-kilometre rail trail surface, between Killara to Huon, as well as building a steel boardwalk to extend 600 metres over the Kiewa River floodplain.

“We hope it will encourage more tourists because people will be able to walk over the floodplain in any season and get access to Lake Hume and Tallangatta,” Ms Packer said.

“In five years we are expecting a great economic benefit for the area.”

Mr Burke said it was hoped the project would begin in October.

“It will be a three-year project that will have long-term benefits,” he said.

The group is using the project as a mentoring and training program for young trainees from Wilson Transformers, who will be involved in building the boardwalk.

“This is a great project to be able to endorse young people who are ready for work,” Mr Retford said.

“It will be nice for them to be working on a high-profile project that they can look back on and be proud of.”

Ms Packer said the project had the potential to offer the opportunity to improve the health of people in the community.

“With the gravel we’ve received to make the bike track more consistent, as well as the boardwalk, people will want to ride and walk and enjoy the surroundings,” she said.

The trio said it was originally thought it might have taken another decade to win funding for the project.

“It’s exciting that we can start working on getting this off the ground now,” Mr Burke said.

“The social enterprise will ensure great community connections and there will be a lot of power in working collaboratively rather than in isolation.”