Upgrades are now underway to the Kiwarrak Mountain Bike Park at Taree after it received $403,980 from Stage Two of the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, co-funded by the Australian and NSW governments.
Federal Nationals Member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie, and State Nationals Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead said the joint Federal-State program developed by The Nationals in government has helped to deliver important infrastructure improvements and community outcomes.
“In November 2019 the Kiwarrak Mountain Bike Park was severely damaged in the black summer bushfires. A team of dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly to rebuild the trails which now boast approximately 70km of forested hand-cut mountain bike-specific trails,” Dr Gillespie said.
“$403,980 has gone towards the replacement of Kiwarrak mountain bike park including the creation of accessible trails for those with adaptive bikes, plus toilets, changing rooms and an undercover BBQ area for community use. Although work is still underway, this project is has already proved to be a great success” Mr Bromhead said.
Nationals Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier and for Regional Jobs and Investment, Gurmesh Singh, said the Mountain Bike Park is a vital community asset.
“The NSW government backed projects with the aim of bringing the community together, supporting tourism and providing improved or new social amenities, as well as increasing preparedness for future bushfires” Mr Singh said.
“The trail is arguably one of the largest networks of mountain biking trails on the Eastern Seaboard and offers mountain biking gold. It is a brilliant asset within the Myall Lakes and offers is a drawcard for sporting tourism.”
The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Package is one part of the $4.5 billion overarching bushfire support program co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments for bushfire recovery, response and preparedness in NSW.
For further information, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/blerfund