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More fun for Forrest MTB

The revitalisation of the Forrest Mountain Bike Park continues with design work underway for the new skills park.

The project is part of a multi-stage, multi-year upgrade to the family-friendly Otway Ranges facility.

The skills park will replace an existing dirt pump track and children’s pump track. It will feature an asphalt pump track with a circuit of rollers, jumps and banked turns.

The asphalt surface will be suitable for skateboards, rollerblades and scooters as well as bikes.

Two jump lines will also be installed, with features ranging from tabletops for novices to step-up and step-down sections for more advanced riders.

The upgrade is being funded by a $2.07M state government grant and $250,000 from Colac Otway Shire.

The park was first developed in 2007-8 and needed modernising and expanding.

Work has been underway to weatherproof trails to make them more resilient to the wet Otway winter climate with the upgrade of the signature Red Carpet Trail—which stretches 4.5km from the Lake Elizabeth area to the Barwon River—close to completion.

Later stages in the multi-year upgrade project will include a major upgrade to the southern trailhead, incorporating a landscaped precinct that celebrates mountain biking and Forrest’s native environment with BBQs and picnic spaces that can be used by visitors and the community.

To encourage greater use by the wider community, three designated horse and walking trails will be added to the Yaugher Trailhead system.

While some short trail sections will be shared, predominately horse riders and walkers will have uninterrupted trails which will assist in creating a safer network for all users.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said: “This new skills park will have a range of jumps, rollers and other features that will give riders of all ages and abilities the opportunity to sharpen their skills – bringing more tourists to the area and creating jobs.”

“Now more than ever we can appreciate being able to get out in nature and visit amazing parts of Victoria, including this beautiful park and trail.”

This project involves multiple agencies (DELWP, Regional Development Victoria, Colac Otway Shire, Barwon Water, Parks Victoria) as well as Eastern Maar, the Forrest Mountain Bike Club and the Forrest Community Group.

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