8 Tuesday, 20 May, 2014
Icon farewelled
20
A Mail Newspaper Group publication
Mail Covering the Upper Yarra Region of the Yarra Ranges Shire
Healesville celebrates 150 years
24-27
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Bike-led recover y
Gas is a goer
Harry Wright, from Yarra Junction, supports the Mountain Bike proposal. Picture: ROB CAREW
YARRA RANGES
Approved Dealer for
LILYDALE 9735 0188 32 Main Street
FERNTREE GULLY 9758 9288 1158 Burwood Hwy
(over railway line Melb. side)
(towards Belgrave)
GAS HEAT & COOL
GAS will be piped into Warburton under a $7.9 million project announced yesterday (Monday). Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan made the long-awaited announcement at the Warburton Golf Club, saying agreement had been reached with Multinet Gas to supply natural gas via a pipeline. The gas will be fed from a 5,600metre supply main into over 23,300metres of reticulation main to supply at least 500 homes and businesses. The pipe option is a turnaround from the announcement in September last year, when Mr Ryan said the cost of the traditional gas pipe into Warburton was too expensive. The town was identified at the time as a priority for compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas, which it was proposed would be delivered by truck to a central storage tank. Mr Ryan said natural gas was around one third the price of bottled gas. “This means that households will now be able to save on their energy bills,” Mr Ryan said. The funding is under the Regional Growth Fund’s Energy for the Regions Program, with construction expected to begin next year and gas to flow in the second half of 2017. –Kath Gannaway
YARRA VALLEY
andscape
& Ga den
1127608-DJ14-14
GET IN EARLY FOR YOUR PRE WINTER HEATER SERVICE CHECK 201557-SS40-5 1086543-JL33-13
WARBURTON’S economic future could soar as a world-class mountain bike destination, according to a feasibility study released last week by Yarra Ranges Council. Described by councillors as exciting, a fantastic opportunity, a project that ticks all the boxes, and an idea that needs to become reality sooner rather than later, the proposal to create a network of new and existing bike tracks was enthusiastically supported. Councillors voted unanimously to put the draft Warburton Mountain Bike Feasibility Study out for community feedback, as a first step. Four zones would be included in the development, with between 62kms and 97.5kms of new mountain bike trails creating a total network of between 106kms and 146kms of trails. The zones would be linked by the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail and the O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail. The study by World Trails estimates the trail network could attract 130,000 mountain bike visitors in its first year, including 10,000 overnight visitors. The total economic benefit in the first year would be close to $24 million and up to 175 fulltime jobs. Andrew Swann from the Yarra Valley Mountain Bikers spoke on behalf of his group, Friends of the Rail Trail and other community groups. He told councillors the proposed development had the full support of the groups he was representing. “This has enormous benefits for the Yarra Valley, not just for Warburton,” he said, adding that townships from Yarra Glen and Healesville and all along the Warburton Highway would benefit.
“The future of mountain biking for this area is held in this report and we would like to see this go to the next phase,” he said. Geoff Vickers from Warburton Valley Community Economic Development Association (CEDA) added his organisation’s support. He said the group, which was formerly the Warburton and District Chamber of Commerce, had around 180 members, most of which were small businesses and community associations. He said the development would be planned to exacting international standards to attract national and international riders. “The economics, conservatively would bring 130,000 visiting cyclists and over $23 million to the area which we’re very excited about,” he said. Cr Jim Child was on the feasibility study committee. He said the cross agency support for the proposal, including Parks Victoria, DEPI, the Yarra Valley Mountain Bikers and CEDA and Warburton Advancement League gave the project positive links from the start. Cr Child said the proposal was not solely about mountain biking in the bush, but about the connectiveness of the existing Rail Trail and O’Shannassy Trail. The study looked at the size of the mountain bike tourism market in Australia and Warburton’s suitability, the costs and projected benefits. The estimated costs of construction are between $2.9 million and $4.2 million with planning and design costs up to $260,000. An environmental assessment by BIOSIS was part of the study. The Draft Warburton Mountain Bike Feasibility Study was released for an eight weeks comment period and is available for comment at yarraranges.com.au
1134998-CB21-14
By KATH GANNAWAY
Sports of all sorts
1127797-CA14-14
Upper Yarra
CRUSHED ROCK SPECIAL 10% OFF on orders of 3 metres or more
*standard delivery fees apply valid till April 30, 2014 Warburton Highway, Wesburn 3799
Ph: 5966 9999
5967 1367
Thinking of selling?...call Bell’s Warburton 59662530 - Yarra Junction 59671277 - Woori Yallock 59615277
1110340-PB50-13