Would you like to see $12 000 000 extra come into your part of the State every year

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Would you liketo see 12 000 000 extra come
into your part of the State every year?
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Western Australia

• Mundaring Trails
• 12m total economic benefit to the Shire
• Visitors from outside the shire contribute up to
  10 million per annum to the shire economy and
  spend on average 11.43 per visit.
• Local residents have an annual estimated
  expenditure of 2 million and spend an average of
  1.44 per visit.
• A small number of local businesses estimated
  that the trails were responsible for more than
  50 of their annual turnover.
• Jessop, M., Bruce., D. (2001) Research Summary,
  Attitudes of Users Towards the Mundaring
  Recreation Trails, Published by Sport and
  Recreation WA, Western Australian Government.

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Rail Trails
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Rail Trails

• are tourism and recreation trails built on
  disused railway corridors.

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Victoria

• 3 000 km of disused rail lines
• Possibly 40 trails 2 000km of trails
• One in each part of Victoria

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Used by

• Cyclists
• Walkers
• Horse riders
• Families
• Dog walkers
• School groups
• Seniors
• Cycle tourers
• Overseas visitors

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Rail Trails bring new money to regional Victoria

• Tour companies
• Bakeries
• Caravan parks
• Outdoor shops
• Cafes

• BBs
• Motels/hotels
• Restaurants
• Wineries
• Bike shops

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Which creates more jobs

• Tour companies
• Bakeries
• Caravan parks
• Outdoor shops
• Cafes

• BBs
• Motels/hotels
• Restaurants
• Wineries
• Bike shops

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And encourages further investment in new and
established businesses

• Tour companies
• Bakeries
• Caravan parks
• Outdoor shops
• Cafes

• BBs
• Motels/hotels
• Restaurants
• Wineries
• Bike shops

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For local people
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Trails bring people together

• Rail Trail Committee of Management
• Landcare
• Rotary Clubs
• Lions Clubs
• Friends of the rail trail
• Local Councils
• Walking groups
• Bicycle User Groups

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Trails link communities

• Rail trails provide an off-road link between
  small rural communities
• Small towns are also also connected to larger
  regional centres

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Trails increase physical exercise
Network routes make a significant contribution
to users levels of physical activity 70 of
users stated that the presence of the route had
helped them to increase the amount of physical
activity that they regularly take Health and
fitness was a more important influencing factor
on a decision to use a route in areas with poorer
underlying health conditions than in areas where
more favorable health conditions
prevail (Sustrans UK survey 2001)
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Winner

• In 2000 the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail
  won the National Heart Foundation Award for best
  recreational facility in Australia.

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The USA network
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Money and jobs in the USA

• 1.2m per trail on the Heritage, St Marks and
  Lafayette/Moraga Trails (US National Parks
  Service 1995)
• 2m from 300 000 annual visits on the Texas
  Mineral Wells to Weatherford Rail Trail.
  (National Trasnportation Enhancements
  Clearinghouse 1999)
• 14 per visit spend on the Ohio Little Miami
  Trail. (National Parks Service 1992)
• Property values up by 10 along the Wisconsin
  Mountain Bay Trail. (Recreation Trails, Crime and
  Property Values Brown County Planning Commission
  1998)

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More from the USA

• 73 a trip on Illinois 19 trails (US Forest
  Service 1989, Rail to Trail Conservancy 1993)
• San Antonio Riverwalk is the second most
  important tourist attraction in the state of
  Texas (Richard Hurd, SanAntonio Department of
  Parks and Recreation).
• 1.2m a year from the Elroy-Sparta Trail in
  Wisconsin. 25 a day averaged expenditures.
  Approximately 50 percent of the users were from
  out-of-state, and the typical user travelled 228
  miles to get to the trail (Schwecke, et al.,
  1989).
• 750 000 a year from the 75,000 visitors to the
  Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in
  Montana (Bureau of Land Management, 1987).

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Money and jobs in Canada

• 20m a year from the Ontario Bruce Trail
  410,000 visitors in 1995 with 26 staying
  overnight.
• (Go for Green 1997)

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The UK network

• The National Cycle Network currently provides
  6,500 miles of cycling and walking routes
  throughout the UK. By 2005 this will be extended
  to 10,000 miles.

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Money and jobs in the UK

• 100 a night average UK trip expenditure on the
  Sustrans network (Sustrans 1999)
• 47 full time jobs from 90 000 visitors a year on
  the West Highland Way (Aitkin 2001)
• 300m a year from the Pennine Way contributes
  (Aitkin 2001)
• 2 billion a year from bicycle tourism in the UK
  (Sustrans 1999)

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Money and jobs in Europe

• The Swiss national cycle routes, Veloland
  Schweiz, developed by the cycling specialists in
  partnership with the tourist industry, Swiss
  Railways, local government and commercial
  sponsors, repaid their investment from tourism
  revenue in the very first year.. and are now
  being expanded to cater for other forms of
  non-motorised user (and so to create new tourism
  markets).

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What do they spend money on?

• Restaurant and car-related expenditures were the
  largest trip-related expenditures,
• Visitors staying at least one night in the area
  generated the largest average expenditures.
• Trail-related equipment, such as bicycles and
  skates, represented the single largest source of
  expenditures at all three greenways.

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What makes a successful trail?

• These factors depend upon trail features such
  as
• Overall length
• Predominant setting,
• extent of recreational activities supported by
  the trail.
• administrative and review fees.

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Money and jobs in Victoria

• VTCC Stepping Out brochure evaluation
  (2000)indicated Victorian trip spending of
  between 200 and 1200, with an average of
  400-500 per trip
• In 1999 Geddes estimated that the Murray to
  Mountains Rail Trail would contribute 0.5
  million per annum to the local community, with a
  multiplying effect of up to 1.9 million per
  annum
• This has proved an under-estimate

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Victorian Rail Trails

• MURRAY TO MOUNTAINS RAIL TRAIL
• A recent survey of tourism operators found that
  the majority indicated the trail had increased
  their business turnover.
• Accommodation providers in Bright have acquired
  bicycles for use by their guests or made
  available secure storage areas for guests with
  bicycles.
• Local businesses are including the trail in their
  marketing

Local bus operators report that there has been a
400 increase (20 to 25 per week) of passengers
carrying bicycles as luggage.
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Murray to Mountains Rail Trail

• New business have been created as a result of the
  trail
• Treadly Transport a pick up and delivery
  service
• Dean Woods Gourmet Trail Bicycle Hire
• Alpine Cycle Service
• Beechworth Cycle Hire

• A cost benefit model indicates that on any given
  weekday there is between 60 and 180 users on the
  trail generating an income between 825 and
  2,475 per day with a potential of up to 4,540
  during school holiday periods. Trail use is
  higher on weekend.
• It is estimated that the trail generates over 1
  million per year.

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1 We need to protect potential trails
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2 Each trail needs a small amount of recurrent
capital funding
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around 20 000 - 40 000 each year for each
active trail

• an active trail group can
• Prepare a strategic plan
• Work to a strategic plan
• Keep building about 4km a year
• Keep negotiating this can take 10 years
• Keep motivated
• Keep inspiring locals and building local support
• Keep applying for large scale funding
• Survive until the major grants come through
• Survive the years when they dont get a grant

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3 An active trail can access other funding

• Federal government
• State government
• Regional Development - Ballarat
• Community Support Fund South Gippsland, Murray
  to Mountains
• Regional Forest Agreements Bairnsdale Orbost
• Crown Lands Improvement fund
• Business
• Philanthropic funds

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Business support

• Telco easements
• Power easement
• Developer contribution
• Lease payments

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50 a visit50 people a day400 a week1 million
a year into each community with a trail
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Rail Trails mean
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• Healthier
• Wealthier
• Stronger Regional communities