Kentish Council has lodged a development application for a revamped Kimberley Lookout area and 3 new trails to push the Wild Mersey mountain bike network closer to its completion.
Kimberley Lookout is the highest point in Badger Range, providing 360º views of the north-west coast that can be accessed by mountain bikers through the Wild Mersey network and bushwalkers on a dedicated 1.8 km walking trail.
It currently has no infrastructure other than the trig point showing the highest point and there have been problems with trampled vegetation so the council has come up with a plan to better contain visitors and limit damage.
The new lookout would be formed of seating made from stone in the shape of a K, with gravel steps leading up to it. Signage would be minimal on the existing trig point, with riders encouraged to use a QR code to find out more information about what they would be looking at.
Stand-alone ‘eyepieces’ which help people identify landmarks such as Mount Roland would also be built, as well as bike parking.
The lookout would be the start of the 3 new proposed downhill trails. The idea being that people ride to the lookout then take a choice of tracks depending on their experience and expertise.
The trails would total about 5 km and descend 170 m through the southern end of Badgers Range from the lookout to Rockliffs Road, about 2 km from Sheffield.
They would be a mix of blue and black-rated trails, and the application states they would ‘be designed to provide a highly memorable experience equal to the best in the state’ as riders exit the Wild Mersey network.
The council hopes the downhill trails would be so thrilling they’d attract more riders and keep more riders in the area longer.
Last year some 45,000 people rode the trails, which is close to goal of 50,000 riders a year and was clocked up during a years of on-and-off border closures.
More than 90 km of the Wild Mersey network has been built – the 3 proposed trails would bring the network close to its stated goal of 100 km of trails between Sheffield, Railton and Latrobe.
The council is proposing to build the trails and lookout with a $230,000 Recovery for Regional Tourism grant which specifies that projects need to be finished by 30 November 2022.
Representations to the development application are being accepted until 17 August via the council website.
Main Image: Roger Nichols