July 2017 Page 2 WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan Page 3 Page Ii WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan

WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan page 1 July 2017 page 2 WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan page 3 page ii WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Western Metropolitan Regional Trails Strategic Plan (‘West What are the benefits of regional trails? Trails’) is a strategic project seeking to improve the quality and Regional trails can provide a wide range of benefits to society, usage of regional trails in Western Metropolitan Melbourne including; over the next decade. • health & wellbeing benefits associated with people being The project study area comprises the six local government active and social when using trails authority areas within Western Metropolitan Melbourne, being • transport benefits, associated with a regional trails network the Cities of Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, providing active transport alternatives for day to day Moonee Valley and Wyndham. Sport and Recreation Victoria is movement and commuting a funding partner for this project. • environmental benefits associated with encouraging active transport modes over motorised transport options What are regional trails? • economic benefits associated with attracting visitors to an Regional trails have been defined by this study as those that allow area to use the trail network for multiple user groups (including pedestrians and cyclists), The study provides a summary of these benefits that can be have an off-road focus, are relatively long and continuous in used to support business cases for regional trail improvement length and are of regional scale, purpose and/or impact. projects. Other key characteristics and functions typical of regional trails include: The regional trails of Western Metropolitan Melbourne A total of 19 existing and proposed regional trails have been • Transport: providing access and connections to destinations identified that meet the definition of a regional trail developed by through active transport modes this study. These trails are mapped in the figure on the following • Recreation: providing recreational opportunities that are page. Of these trails, all but two existed to some degree at the accessible and attractive to a range of user groups (including time this study was undertaken (with the exceptions being the walking, jogging and cycling). future trail associated with the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road • Economic benefit: the potential to deliver economic and the Western Freeway Trail). Of those that do currently benefits of regional importance (including promoting exist, the majority include some scope for future construction, economic development and/or tourism) either to extend the existing trail or to fill gaps. • Ease of access: the ability to be readily accessed by the majority of the community living and working within the region, as well as by visitors. WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan page iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Figure: Plan of project study area showing existing and proposed regional trails page iv WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan Community engagement outcomes Trail improvement preferences The community has been engaged as a part of this project. The consultation asked respondents to note which of a broad This included an on-line questionnaire that received over 250 range of options would be most likely to increase their use of responses, on-site consultation events and targeted meetings regional trails in Western Metropolitan Melbourne. There were with key stakeholder groups. The engagement has provided four responses (from the 14 options provided) that gained useful insights into the way people use regional trails and the significantly more support than the other options. These are things they would like to see improved. listed in order from most to least popular below: • Better connections between trails Trail usage • Better connections to destinations The consultation found that two trails stood out in terms • Greater length of trails of usage, with each having been used by greater than 60% of • Better trail surfaces respondents in the previous year. The two trails that were most used were: The outcomes of this multiple-choice survey format were backed up by written and verbal feedback received, with many • Coastal Trail (a part of the broader Bay Trail that runs people noting the discontinuous nature of the existing regional around the edge of Port Phillip Bay) trail network. • Maribyrnong River Trail A second tier of trails had been used by between 30% and 50% What are the key issues for the regional trail network in of users in the last year, listed below from most to least used. Western Metropolitan Melbourne? This report has a broad scope, covering the wide range of • Federation Trail topics relevant to regional trails, including trail infrastructure • Moonee Ponds Creek Trail (including defining standards and guidelines for trail and facility • Kororoit Creek Trail construction), trail management (including issues related to • Skeleton Creek Trail funding, construction, maintenance and promotion), and trail • The M80 Trail (Western Ring Road) marketing (including to both local users and tourists). • Werribee River Trail Of these topic areas, a number of items have emerged as being The consultation also found that the majority of trail users the key issues impacting upon the quality and use of the regional usually used the regional trails once per week or more, with trail network in Western Metropolitan Melbourne. The three close to a quarter using them most days. key issues identified are trail connections, trail funding, and trail management. WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan page v Trail connections • There is competition for funding between closing gaps in As reflected by the community feedback, the existing regional the existing network (which is often difficult, therefore trail network in Western Metropolitan Melbourne is very much involving high costs for small lengths of trail) and extending a work in progress. While many individual segments of trail are trails (which is often occurring in less developed areas well-used and valued by the community, these trail segments where alignment conflicts can be avoided, resulting in do not currently connect together to form an interconnected relatively lower costs). network providing the kinds of links and connections desired To address this key issue, this report has itemised and prioritised by the users. Key examples of this are: a list of trail improvement works in an Action Plan, including • the very low number of ‘loop’ circuits within the existing a focus upon resolving key trail gaps and missing connections regional trail network in the study area. (which were identified via a review of existing LGA strategies, • the low occurrence of regional trails passing through, or a trail audit, and community consultation). close to key commercial and civic precincts. Trail funding There are a number of key factors influencing this: With unlimited funding, the problems associated with the • The difficulty and expense of closing remaining gaps or connectivity and extent of the regional trail network would be making connections within the existing network. This is relatively easy to solve. because these often need to be retro-fitted into highly urbanised areas and spaces encumbered by existing Precinct Structure Plans that integrate strategic trail provision infrastructure. combined with funding by developer contributions means that • Related to the above, there is a history of trail funding for new trails in growth areas are assured. construction based upon convenience. It is no coincidence The same is not true for trail improvement projects (such as that all of the regional trails within the study area are the significant trail connection issues noted under the previous predominantly located either along waterways, or ‘piggy- subheading), which currently have no clear and consistent back’ on the provision of other infrastructure (being funding stream open to them. freeways, railway lines, and an historic sewer route). It is worth noting that this perception of trails being an State government bodies have traditionally had responsibility afterthought, rather than key infrastructure, is being for the planning of the trail network, backed up by state overturned in new growth areas where trail planning is government grants for trail construction. For many years, increasingly integrated into strategic thinking and is a Parks Victoria was the key body involved. Their planning mandatory part of new development. responsibilities now largely lie with the Metropolitan Planning Authority (MPA) and VicRoads. page vi WEST TRAILS Strategic Plan The MPA is a planning authority that has a planning, not Trail management construction charter, and therefore does not provide a funding The management of the regional trail network includes a source for regional trail construction. VicRoads is involved in wide variety of activities, relationships and agreements that regional trail funding and construction (the Federation Trail go toward trail planning, construction, funding, maintenance being one example), but has a focus upon cycle commuting and and promotion. The management structures of trails are often transport, rather than the broader user groups catered to by complex and responsibilities for trails are held by many different regional trails. VicRoads has no ongoing grants programs for groups. There is no single body who holds responsibility for the regional trail construction. planning, implementation or maintenance of the regional trail network. Some funding

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