2021-08-10 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                    10 AUGUST 2021


8        NOOSA TRAIL MASTERPLAN UPDATE


Author              Principal Environment Officer, Peter Milne
                    Environment and Sustainable Development Department

Index               ECM/ Subject/ Noosa Trail Network

Attachments         Nil



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Principal Environment Officer to the Planning & Environment
Committee Meeting dated 10 August 2021 and resolve to:
A.        Rename the Noosa Trail Network to the Noosa Biosphere® Trail, consisting of the Hinterland
          Trail and the Coastal Trail;
B.        Adopt the Noosa Biosphere® Trail Concept map as a basis for the development of a Shire-
          wide Trail Implementation Plan; and
C.        Note the progress of the Trail 5 Pomona to Cooran Upgrade Works.



REPORT
The Noosa Trail Masterplan was developed by Tourism Noosa with funding from the Noosa
Biosphere® Reserve Foundation. The Masterplan was adopted by Council at its Ordinary Meeting
in March 2021 for the purpose of enabling further detailed planning to improve the network and
provide greater trail opportunities for a variety of outdoor user groups. This report provides Council
with an update on the progress on the implementation of the Noosa Trail Masterplan and the Trail 5
Pomona to Cooran Upgrade Project.
1.       Trail examples
The Noosa Trail Network is located in the Noosa Hinterland and is 103 kilometres in length, catering
for horse riders, mountain bike riders, walker and runners. For comparison, the table below
summarises some significant national and international trails, catering for a number of user groups;
 Trail                                    Distance (kms)      User groups          Location
 Queenstown Trails Trust                  120                 Mountain Bikers      New Zealand
 Cooloola Great Walk                      102                 Walkers              Queensland
 Cooloola Wilderness Trail                48                  Walkers              Queensland
 Kilkivan to Kilcoy Rail Trail            89                  Mountain Bikers      Queensland
 Overland Track Cradle Mountain-Lake      65                  Walkers              Tasmania
 St Clair
 Thorsborne Trail                         32                  Walkers              Queensland
 Milford Track                            53                  Walkers              New Zealand
 Blue Derby, Tasmania                     85                  Mountain Bikers      Tasmania

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