An economic output of $12.8 million and the creation of 71 jobs annually will be a key selling point for the Murray River Adventure Trail as the project is advocated to government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Murray Regional Tourism board developed a feasibility study with federal government support and is now using $500,000 from the Victorian government for detailed planning.
Chief Executive Mark Francis said this time next year, he hoped works on the ground would be in sight.
“It would be great to know we’ve completed this detailed planing work and been able to secure some funding to actually see stages move froward,” he said.
“Seventy to 80 per cent of the trail actually exists now, so what it’s really about is creating other infrastructure like trail-heads.
“There’s distances where you might be able to 30 kilometres along the river and there would be 200 metres of a creek system and you couldn't get across, so some of the costs are in bridges, to enable that connection.
“The NSW Environment and Tourism Fund has contributed to getting nearly 44 kilometres between Corowa and Mulwala, plus linkages in and out of those towns.”
About 300 kilometres of new trails, infrastructure enhancements and signage costing $27.3 million would be needed to connect Wymah to Wentworth, incorporating individual loops for day use and 1390 kilometres of water-based activity.
The first stage of the 10-year plan for the trail would develop linkages in the central Murray, with upgrades to the North East and Southern NSW in stage two.
Mr Francis said the trail was envisaged to be completed in sections to lessen the funding burden and make the project more achievable.
“It was always a 10 year plan, it would be great to secure all that funding at once, but it’s about a staged development project and really testing what the visitors want to engage with,” he said.
“We do want both states to be investing and engaged, but we also want the federal government involved as well.
“Our latest destination management plan shows on average around 30 per cent of all visitors are in the region visiting friends and family, so if locals know about it and are using it you’ll get their visitors using it too.
“The feasibility study estimated the trail would attract 100,000 new visitors to the region, but there would be over 200,000 local users as well.”
