Many recent conversations suggest I am not the only person who feels the COVID restrictions have served as a timely reminder of just how fortunate we are to live where we do. The sheer diversity, immediacy and beauty of our landscapes remind us that we truly have it all.
The Coastal Pathway is a regional project that recognises and seeks to frame and leverage our amazing natural beauty and perfect scale (80 km from Wynyard to Latrobe). It will link all coastal communities and provide another regional ‘narrative’. Around a decade ago, it was estimated on any given long weekend, up to 10,000 ‘foodie-cyclists’ headed out of Melbourne looking for safe pathways, natural beauty, artisan food, coffee, wineries, and accommodation. Melbourne is the largest and most educated bike market in the country and the numbers continue to grow as people seek an antidote to the pressured and often fragmented speed of modern city life. It has been estimated that cyclists pump $2 million into the local economy around Beechworth and Bright every weekend. These riders stay longer and spend up to 53% more than other tourists. It’s also important to note that from Melbourne, these riders must drive between 2.5 and 3 hours before they can even mount their bikes. It cannot be overstated how important the convenience and novelty of being able to jump onto the Spirit of Tasmania in Melbourne and ride off in Devonport, straight onto the pathway can be. The Coastal Pathway’s potential to transform our region also lies in its ability to support other nature-based projects such as Wild Mersey and the Penguin mountain bike trails. Our region can become a famous ‘trails Mecca’.
Our great roads, Coastal Pathway, mountain bike trails, rivers and walking trails can become second-to-none. I can envisage a time when more ‘iconic’ walking trails such as the proposed trail in the Tarkine, draw people here. I can easily imagine a ‘Cradle to Coast trail’ starting at Cradle Mountain, crossing the high plains over to and descending Black Bluff, through the Leven Canyon and the idyllic rural beauty of Gunns Plains, ending at the seaside dream that is Penguin; I can see it drawing visitors from around the world. The potential is immense, and the foundations already exist in the Penguin to Cradle trail.
Another benefit flowing from these projects is they support many boutique locally owned businesses which, importantly, keeps profits circulating in the local economy. Large tourism projects and infrastructure have their place, but often the profits are funnelled out of the local economy. Diverse businesses owned and operated by locals who are fully invested in the region’s success, are critical.
Another huge benefit from these tourism projects (whether tourists are from within the state, national, or international) is they never bypass or disadvantage locals (which is too often the case around the world). The pathway and all other projects mentioned bring huge health and quality of life gains to local communities. The pathway is available to all and is open 24/7 at no cost to the users; it is win-win! It is long overdue that natural beauty, economic development, and social benefits should cease to be pitted against one another.
Meanwhile, around the world, there is a quiet revolution in mobility going on, especially in Europe and Asia. With technology improving rapidly, the gap between e-bikes and electric mobility vehicles and chairs is being filled by all sorts of electric hybrids. With safe, dedicated pathways and improved access within town and city centres, the future looks vastly different, and much more inclusive and human. I feel for the many people with mobility challenges who have had to battle with blocked access to basic amenities and the sense of exclusion and devaluing that brings. The truth is we are all ageing and mobility deserts us all eventually. The development of a myriad of fit for purpose e-bikes, chairs and vehicles using safe, separate, adequate path networks makes for a future full of possibility, dignity, freedom, and improved quality of life.
One thing we have been reminded of during the COVID restrictions is just how critical it is for our health on all levels, to have consistent access to natural spaces. As our numbers and human footprint grow, we should take this connection to our country very seriously. In a world where human consumption, waste and numbers are bouncing off the biosphere, we are privileged people. We can still have it all and can shape a future that is prosperous, inclusive, innovative, and profoundly human. That is our challenge and privilege.
– Andrew Leary is Turners Beach local and long time Coastal Pathway advocate. He previously worked in the tourism industry.