A $2.6 million walking and cycling trail from Bright to Harrietville will be completed if Alpine Council is successful in seeking funding from the federal government.
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Councillors last night approved an application to the Building Better Regions Fund for half of the cost of building the 24 kilometre trail.
Just over 10 kilometres of trail, from Bright to Germantown, and from Harrietville to Stony Creek, was completed in 2014 with funding from the Victorian government.
Four hundred people signed a petition to council in 2016, calling for the missing link to be completed.
With applications for round three of the grant program closing on Thursday, a draft was already prepared, aiming for construction in the 2019-2020 financial year with council also to contribute $1.3 million.
Cr Sarah Nicholas said finishing the trail would help drive visitors to the smaller towns on the route.
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“Having a trail that starts at one town and doesn’t go very far, and that starts at another town and doesn’t go very far, is a start but it would be great to finish the middle,” she said.
Cr Daryl Pearce said the project was exciting when planning first began and it was “great that it’s back on the table”. While further consultation will take place on trail design, councillors were told the route would keep users away from the Great Alpine Road.
Meanwhile, councillors Ron Janas and Sarah Nicholas were reinstated as mayor and deputy mayor respectively for another year.
Cr Peter Roper nominated Cr Daryl Pearce for both the positions, though only voted for his fellow councillor for the deputy mayor position – Cr Janas was unanimously supported for the position of mayor, while all councillors bar Cr Roper voted for Cr Nicholas as deputy.
