$2.5 million for Tassie West Coast trails and maybe Maydena?

nathanm

Eats Squid
Caught a quick story on the local news last night about $2.5 million in federal funding (may) have been granted for trails/park/hub on Tassies west coast. Whilst mtb trails have been slated for the region for a while I wasn't aware who was building them, the extend of the trails and where the funding was coming from.

The story featured Dirt Arts MD Simon French so may be they secured the funding or have been appointed to build the trails? Big, big news for Tassie if we're getting another huge trail network.

I also saw a comment on a local Facebook page saying that it would be great if we had that funding available in Hobart. Cryptically Simon from @dirtart responded seemingly suggesting that Maydena Mtb Park would be making an announcement soon about similar funding being obtained. But is this for Hobart trails or the private park?

Will certainly be keeping a keen eye on developments as both glenorchy and hobart city council's have draft development plans out and they could certainly do with a large federal grant to build trails in populated areas instead of remote and rural regions.
 

rangersac

Medically diagnosed OMS
I wonder if it's the Queenstown trails that have been on the cards for a while? Either that or a Zeehan extension.
 

Ackland

chats d'élevage
It's on the Dirt Art FB Page...

We are pleased to be continuing our work on Tasmania’s West Coast, as we begin works on design of a new major trail network in the stunning Heemskirk Range outside of Zeehan. A big thanks to the West Coast Council for their continued trust in our work, and to state and federal governments for their ongoing funding support for mountain biking in Tasmania.
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
It's to fund the construction of Queenstown's Mt Owen trail network and for the design of a further 20km of trails in the Heemskirk Reserve around Zeehan where the current Oonah Hill trail is.
Dirt Art have been involved in the in the Mt Owen for some time now and although it hasn't been announced I'm pretty sure they will be constructing it. I think the link to Maydena is that it would be run similarly, as having a shuttle service to the top of Mt Owen but the trail are public so you can still ride them for free.
Oonah hill is pretty cool trail built by Next Level Mountain Bike, so I keen to see more trail in that area too. Just not quite enough for a visit just for that.
The West Coast will have some challenging weather but the terrain is nothing like anything else in Tassie. More like the Scottish highlands.
 

mike14

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Is there some kind of costing model for mtb trail development (noting that it would be greatly changed by accessibility, features etc)? I'd be interested in knowing roughly how much trail you get for $2.5m
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
Is there some kind of costing model for mtb trail development (noting that it would be greatly changed by accessibility, features etc)? I'd be interested in knowing roughly how much trail you get for $2.5m
All depends on the terrain really.
I had an old cost matrix with had a difficulty rating from 1 - 5
1 = $10 per meter
2 = $20 per meter
3 = $30 per meter
4 = $37.50 per meter
5 = $45 per meter
A construction difficulty score of 1 might be applied to an old logging track that is overgrown, requiring some simple brush cutting and clearing to reopen, with no need for any excavation. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a trail with a construction difficulty rating of 5 would involve substantial amounts of rock armouring, or rocky ground, frequent berms, switchbacks, jumps or rollers (requiring extensive earthworks) and heavy vegetation clearing.
The West Coast is challenging as you lose a lot of time to weather, there's no soil to speak of and there's a lot of water management to factor in.
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
] responded seemingly suggesting that Maydena Mtb Park would be making an announcement soon about similar funding being obtained. But is this for Hobart trails or the private park?
vic xc guys started a fb thread late last night, apparently maydena has the xc nationals 2021..& if so i presume the dh also. xc guys are put off by this, and xc trail there presently?
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
vic xc guys started a fb thread late last night, apparently maydena has the xc nationals 2021..& if so i presume the dh also. xc guys are put off by this, and xc trail there presently?
Nothing at the moment that you would really call an XC course but I'm sure they could construct one, they are currently building more lower trails in the park.
 

rangersac

Medically diagnosed OMS
I can see how they could incorporate the Turner Earner (the climbing trail) into some of the easier descents and do several laps. As @Stredda has noted there are also supposed to be some more easier more family orientated trails opening up in the spring so perhaps they are planning on using those
 

cokeonspecialtwodollars

Fartes of Portingale
All depends on the terrain really.
I had an old cost matrix with had a difficulty rating from 1 - 5
1 = $10 per meter
2 = $20 per meter
3 = $30 per meter
4 = $37.50 per meter
5 = $45 per meter
A construction difficulty score of 1 might be applied to an old logging track that is overgrown, requiring some simple brush cutting and clearing to reopen, with no need for any excavation. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a trail with a construction difficulty rating of 5 would involve substantial amounts of rock armouring, or rocky ground, frequent berms, switchbacks, jumps or rollers (requiring extensive earthworks) and heavy vegetation clearing.
The West Coast is challenging as you lose a lot of time to weather, there's no soil to speak of and there's a lot of water management to factor in.
I think that most trail building companies are running close to $100/m these days.
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
I think that most trail building companies are running close to $100/m these days.
Definitely isn't that much. It would be $1 million to build 10km of trail, you could tunnel through the hill for that.
The Wild Mersey trails stage 3 roughly had a budget of $1.8 million for around 60km of trails, so that's around $30pm
Trailscapes who were awarded the contract quoted under that figure.
 

Ackland

chats d'élevage
There are some areas where trail would run $100/m but it would be areas that require significant benching and stone masonry.
World trail do get between $60-80/m for more difficult areas.

$23/m is doable with good machinery access and minimal veg clearing.

There will be a bit of "remote area" tax for operating on the West Coast of Tas and given the difficulties in travelling at the moment, you would have a hard time getting crew and/or machinery supplies across from the mainland at the moment.

Keep in mind, the costs above are for the construction only.
Planning, native veg assessments, cultural heritage assessments and native vegetation offset credits can cost 2x the trail building costs in significant veg.

You've also got civil design and development approvals if you're building/upgrading shuttle roads and/or car parks, toilets etc.

Trail head signage is about $1K for design, $1K for a 3 panel entry sign and then $100 per trail waymarker totem.

Of your $2.5M allocation, $1M may actually make it to trail construction by the time you pay for everything else.
~20-40KM
 

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
It's to fund the construction of Queenstown's Mt Owen trail network and for the design of a further 20km of trails in the Heemskirk Reserve around Zeehan where the current Oonah Hill trail is.
Dirt Art have been involved in the in the Mt Owen for some time now and although it hasn't been announced I'm pretty sure they will be constructing it. I think the link to Maydena is that it would be run similarly, as having a shuttle service to the top of Mt Owen but the trail are public so you can still ride them for free.
Oonah hill is pretty cool trail built by Next Level Mountain Bike, so I keen to see more trail in that area too. Just not quite enough for a visit just for that.
The West Coast will have some challenging weather but the terrain is nothing like anything else in Tassie. More like the Scottish highlands.
Good thing, Tassie needs something, new and different, so lacking in variety and quality ....
 

downunderdallas

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Whoever does the lobbying for federal funds in Tassie deserves a medal, I don't believe WA has receievd any federal funds for MTB, fortunately state gov has tipped a decent amount in lately. Tassie seems to get Fed funds every couple of weeks... well maybe that's a slight exaggeration.

More trails is good!
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
Good thing, Tassie needs something, new and different, so lacking in variety and quality ....
I think there’s a wide variety in Tasmania. The Hobart trails are different to the Meehan trails which are different to Maydena. Derby and St Helens are similar as both are built by World Trail and are nearby each other. But you can’t say that Wild Mersey, Kate Reed, Trevallyn, Kelcey Tiers, Penguin and the Dial Range are all the same‍.
 
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