Ms RATTRAY (McIntyre) – Mr President, I would like to share with members my experience on Saturday when the stage 2 of the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails was opened.
The member for Mersey was among the myriad people at this well-attended event. This is the second stage of the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails, set in Railton. There are four green trails over 16 kilometres with a loop through the forest hills above Railton’s Goliath Park, a scenic 10 kilometres of dual cycling and walking trail – for those who do not necessarily have a bike yet – and links to and from Latrobe’s Warrawee trails with a fantastic pump track at the beginning near Goliath Park. I know a little about pump tracks because I have seen them at Derby. Thinking we have another pump track happening, I arrived at Railton and went to Goliath Park on Saturday morning. The pump track is absolutely awesome and there were so many children, young and older, on their bikes, going around and around. It was absolutely fantastic to see such an alive community and I know the member for Mersey will agree with me. The place was really pumping.
I congratulate the two councils who have worked together, Kentish Council and the Latrobe Council. The take-home message of the whole event was the fact Kentish and Latrobe worked so well together to bring about the second stage. The first one was the Warrawee, then the Railton, with another part of the track – the Sheffield component – to come. That will be about mid-2019 and they are ready to go into the construction stage.
Tim Wilson, the Kentish mayor, gave a wonderful speech about the cooperation, the way the track had been developed and what the tracks meant to the Railton community; in the council’s view, it will give Railton another string to its bow. Railton is known for its topiaries and this will be another part of what you will enjoy in Railton.
Deputy Mayor of Latrobe Graeme Brown also spoke about the cooperative approach in bringing stage 2 of the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails together. He also had his bike with him. Gerald Monson, the general manager of Latrobe and Kentish councils – which works a treat – was there on his bike ready to take off. It shows the enthusiasm for mountain bike tracks. I did a small interview on the radio while there because they seemed to think I might know something about mountain bike tracks. Not from the bike I had on top of my car – because I do not have one – but certainly because of being the local member for the north-east where Blue Derby has become so popular.
I liken it to the golf course scenario where people come to our state and play a number of different golf courses around the state. I expect mountain bike tracks will bring the same sort of thing to Tasmania where people will ride Blue Derby, Wild Mersey, Maydena and all the other tracks coming online. There are tracks at George Town and Break O’Day. There is also the Blue Tier at Break O’Day so there will be a great opportunity for mountain bike tourism and opportunities for people to get fit and healthy.
I congratulate Kentish and Latrobe councils for being so proactive and putting on a fantastic day and the local Rotary club for its sausage sizzle. That is always well enjoyed by everyone.
Thank you, Mr President.