Organisers and competitors had high praise for the courses they competed on and the facilities in the town.

The championships were shown on SBS, which provided valuable publicity for the idyllic region.

The Alpine council, buoyed by the success of the event, has signed an agreement to host the championships again next year, with a further option for 2016.

An agreement was recently reached with event organisers Mountain Bike Australia.

The council’s economic development manager, Clayton Neil, said the council agreed to host next year’s event for a hosting fee of $50,000.

“This brings our financial commitment for 2014 and 2015 to a total of $95,000,” he said.

“We will apply for a State government grant to cover the hosting fee for 2016.

“But if we are unable to secure a grant, we will opt not to host it.

“The 2014 event was fantastic, attracting many riders and their families and appearing on SBS television to a national audience.”

Mr Neil said the council would also support event organisers with planning assistance and act as a conduit between them and the Bright community.

He said the future events would offer council and the broader Alpine council community the chance to highlight their ability to host national-level events and continue to attract growing numbers of visitors to the region.

“The riders who participated were overwhelmingly positive about the experience, most notably the courses and the supporting infrastructure provided by the township,” Mr Neil said.

“This exposure was an excellent way to showcase the nature-based tourism experiences on offer across the Alpine Shire and show how committed we are to increasing our cycle tourism offering.”