Latrobe and Kentish councils have released three reports outlining plans for the areas’ open spaces, sport and recreation, and shared use trails and are asking for community comments.
The cycling and shared use trails report focuses on recreational and tourism riding opportunities but offers little for people wanting to ride for transport.
It uses national data and experience to try to come up with a snapshot of Latrobe–Kentish recreational cycling demand and participation, acknowledging that growth is likely to be mainly in tourism.
Most of the report’s recommendations are for increased promotion of the existing trails in the Wild Mersey network, but other recommendations of interest include:
- Design, fund and deliver the North West Coastal Trail from Devonport to Port Sorell – this has been on the council’s wish list for some time but the report doesn’t provide any more detail on what it would look like.
- Provide a four-cross mountain bike track in Goliath Park, Railton.
- Provide local junior bike skills (learn to ride/traffic rules) circuit near play spaces, skate parks and pump tracks in Latrobe and Port Sorell.
- Monitor the use of velodromes in Latrobe, Sheffield and Railton with the view to possibly converting the space for other uses.
- Design a trail bridge crossing from Bells Parade trails to the Tasmanian Trail.
- Upgrade Shale Road–Hamilton Street with safe cycling lane and connect with Kings Park shared use trail – this is already in the Latrobe Structure Plan but this report does not include any more detail.
- Improve the Railton–Sheffield rail trail to shared use standard to support high trail use and local Parkrun.
The reports can be viewed online via www.latrobe.tas.gov.au/notice-board/latest-news/open-spaces,-sport,-recreation,-cycling-and-trails, with comments due before 5 January 2026 via council@kentish.tas.gov.au and council@latrobe.tas.gov.au
Or become our friend and subscribe to receive our fortnightly newsletter.