779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 916 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Trails were therefore evaluated as having more undesirable elements, than desirable. Quantity Trail networks at Old Tambo were said to be limited. There is only one trail at Old Tambo, and as such respondents noted that the site needed more challenging trails if it was serious about attracting visitors. Diversity of Biking Experiences The biking experiences were evaluated as limited because there is only one trail (DH). Especially given its relative location and the effort involved in getting up the mountain, and alternative options available in the region. Trail Care and Maintenance Respondents major concern was the need for better trail care and maintenance at Old Tambo, particularly at the bottom section of the trails. Respondents suggested a volunteer trail care crew to improve the maintenance issues at this destination.
- “Could really do with some trail maintenance and rebuilding all the way to the bottom” - “The bottom section is washed out and had not had any care provided for a long time” - “Top section is OK but last 2/3 is too rough to be worth the effort. Many wash outs and overall needs work to be usable.” - “The bottom section need lots of work, actually as I say it will be a great place to develop gravity trail there.” - “We need to have a trail care crew (volunteer) like Nerang trail care that can access to the gate. I will be happy to volunteer.”
Trail Network Development Proposals Taking into account its history as a noted DH track and its location, respondents suggested that any changes or developments would need to be attention grabbing trails to account for the distance travelled to and lack of diversity at this facility. More specifically, suggestions for trail types to be developed are DH and /or Enduro trails. Also, trail features to be developed should include flow tracks, jump trails and climbing trails. Additionally, easier, ridable trails for beginners and intermediary-level riders should ideally be added.
- “Should be more trails at this location this is a perfect spot for DH riding and enduro trails. […] Think big needs flow tracks jump trails and DH specific trail.” - “Needs more trail to really make it worth the drive up the mountain. More descending trails and a climbing trail.” - “Needs more than 1 trail & a dedicated climbing trail” - “Tambo is good; however, it needs a lot of work to make it ride able and enjoyable for anyone under an advanced rider.”
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 917 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Quality of Amenities and Support Facilities Respondents highlighted two key issues as hindering growth of MTB at Old Tambo; bike- transport services and riding-support services. With regards to bike-transport services, respondents emphasised a lack of (regular) shuttle/uplift services. This was the most mentioned complaint of respondents regarding the facilities/amenities for MTB at Old Tambo. This shortage is said to reduce the overall attractiveness of the trails at Old Tambo. Respondents therefore suggested offering either long shuttled routes or direct access to fire road.
- “Not in my interest, especially due to the need to shuttle.” - “A short section that is good but can’t be shuttled as a DH.” - “Needs a lift or direct access to fire road.” - “Long shuttle route unless fire road is open.”
In terms of riding support services, respondents stated the need of better signage, water stations, trailheads and ideally bike parks / features. Further support facilities mentioned was the expansion of services in the surrounding community, such as better accommodation and food and beverages suppliers.
- “Access is not very easily noticed, and signage is poor” - “Needs signposting and trail maintenance.” - “Add water point for drinking and more trails please” - “Trailhead and more trails would be great.” - “Could have a proper bike park in this location with a chair lift, accommodation, bars.”
Accessibility / Convenience of Location As noted above, a lack of signage has rendered this venue to be regarded as hard to access, according to respondents.
- “Access is not very easily noticed […]” - “Hard to access.[…]”
Uniqueness Old Tambo is perceived as possessing good topography (elevation, descents).
- “340m+ vertical descent is a world class location and should be better utilised with more trails.” - “[Old Tambo has] lots of potential with the elevation that it has.”
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 918 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Satisfaction with Boomerang Farm
Figure 36: Satisfaction Levels with Boomerang Farm
Your overall experience
Quality of trails Quality of support facilities - trail heads, signposting, skills parks, food and drink etc Diversity of biking experiences, trails and parks
Accessibility/convenience of the location
Trail Congestion
Uniqueness
-20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither Somewhat sattisfied Very satisfied
Amongst all of the surveyed MTB sites in and around Gold Coast (i.e. Nerang National Park, Hinze Dam, Old Tambo, Boomerang, Illinbah and NV Gravity Farm), Boomerang Farm riders reported the highest levels of satisfaction with their riding experiences. Notably, no respondents reported any element of their experience at this venue as very dissatisfied. There were however 95.7% of respondents who rated their overall ‘Boomers’ trail experience as Somewhat Satisfactory (29.2%) or Very Satisfactory (66.5%). This was the highest satisfaction level among the six MTB venues evaluated. It scored well across the board (80%+ rider satisfaction), with trail quality (95.7%) and uniqueness (90.5%) taking top honours, and accessibility (85.8%) and support facilities (85.4%) following. Areas identified for marginal improvement was its trail congestion (80.2%) and diversity (80.7%). Justifying the Ratings Overall Impressions with Boomerang Farm MTB Trails / Venue Almost all of the respondents who visited Boomerang stated that Boomerang is a great park. Positive responses related mostly about trail diversity relative to other MTB facilities, well- built trails, great vibes and community, excellent facilities and trail care, and its ongoing progression.
- “I cannot give this place enough praise. What had been achieved at Boomerang farm is on an international scale. With better marketing this place would be a drawcard for Gold Coast. Unfortunately, few people outside SEQ in the mountain biking community have even heard of it. Please build more facilities like this.”
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 919 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Quality of Trails and the Diversity of Biking Experience Quality Respondents highly commended the trail quality at Boomerang. Trails were evaluated as well- built, having world-class quality.
- “Nothing else like it, everything is extremely well built.” The only minor issue raised by respondents, was the soil quality, with a tendency to dry out. Recommendations to overcome this was to potentially water the trails manually.
- “All good but can get a bit dry at times, perhaps some watering etc.” - “The dryness of the location is the only real problem.” Quantity Boomerang was said to have great variety of trails and a constant progression and development. Respondents noted Boomerang’s ability to cater for different riding levels (from beginners to advanced levels), different trail interests (such as Enduro, DH and free rides) and different trail features (natural trails, jump lines).
- “It is the only place that caters for all levels of riders. The trails gradings are actually consistent to MTBA standards.” - “Lots of different riding in one easy to get to location.” - “Great place, diverse tracks from enduro, DH to free ride with dirt jumps and pump track going in.” - “Haven’t ridden myself but I believe the tracks are more suited to DH or enduro than park or xco.” [Visitor to site] - “Proper DH trails.” - “Always have a good time, usually ride the natural trails but sometimes jump lines.” Trail Network Development Proposals Even though the site is regarded as accommodating to different MTB riding levels, respondents recommended the development of more trails, particularly easy trails for beginners/novices to intermediary trails. Specifically, blue trail types, flow trails, and better jumps were suggested. Trails were also expected to extend longer.
- “Needs more blue/flow trails to compliment the black trails” - “Needs more trails for intermediate riders. Flow trails” - “A great place for advanced riders but not really catering for novices” - “The jumps are too big for me.” - “Great facility, wish they had longer trail ride type tracks.” - “The trails are far too short to be considered be true MTN biking experience.”
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 920 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Quality of Amenities and Facilities The shuttle services were highlighted as contributing to the advantages of Boomerang. Respondents noted that Boomerang was the only track the offers a shuttle services and self- shuttling. To improve the amenities/facilities at Boomerang, respondents suggested to build a chairlift.
- “It's the only track that provides a shuttle service and allows for self-shuttling.” - “Among the best built trails, I have ridden. Just need a chairlift and a bigger mountain to be world class.” Accessibility / Convenience of Location The only comments relating to accessibility noted that the property was not accessible 24/7, as it was privately owned. It is however open 7 days a week, so relatively accessible during daytime hours. Trail Congestion Trail congestion was one of the very few negative elements noted about Boomerang Farm.
- “The only problem is it gets very busy on weekends” - “Great during the week but gets really crowded on weekends.” - “Great place just gets too busy as they have to shuttle riders up with old trailers and utes so long turnaround times.”
Respondents stated that congestion often occurs during weekends and largely relates to slow shuttle services. Boomerang Farm has approximately 45 riders on weekend days – twice that of NV Gravity Park. There are however plans for the facility to purchase more shuttle vehicles in 2019. From consultation, the average shuttle wait time was noted as currently being approximately 14 minutes. Uniqueness The uniqueness of Boomerang was articulated by two attributes, that is, gravity tracks and MTB community. According to respondents, Boomerang was predominantly recognised for its gravity-based riding experiences. Also, many respondents commented on the great MTB community at Boomerang, which provides participants with excellent vibes.
- “Awesome setup, pity it’s so gravity oriented but the boys have done an awesome job...” - “Without a doubt the best MTB park for gravity based riding on the east coast of Australia.” - “The trails are the only ones that cater for gravity.” - “Community feel is great.” - “A great community resource, an example of what can be achieved with a small group of passionate people.” - “This place is awesome, more thanks to the amazing community input and hard work from local riders.” 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 921 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Satisfaction with Illinbah
Figure 37: Satisfaction Levels with Illinbah
Your overall experience
Quality of trails
Quality of support facilities - trail heads, signposting, skills…
Diversity of biking experiences, trails and parks
Accessibility/convenience of the location
Trail Congestion
Uniqueness
-40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither Somewhat sattisfied Very satisfied
A total of 85.9% of respondents rated their overall Illinbah trail experience as Somewhat Satisfactory (46.0%) or Very Satisfactory (39.0%).
It best features were rated as being its unique nature (86.7%) and the quality of trails (84.2%).
The quality of support services and accessibility was found significantly lacking, with only 29.2% and 40.4% of respondents respectively rating it as satisfactory. Justifying the Ratings Overall Impression with Illinbah MTB Trails / Venue Illinbah is seen as a great DH MTB venue among respondents, but private ownership limited access. Quality of Trails and the Diversity of Biking Experience Quality DH trails at Illinbah were evaluated as world-class quality.
- “World class facility for DH racing […].” Trail Care and Maintenance Few respondents stated that the venue should be better maintained.
- “[The place is] not [well] looked after […]”
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 922 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Trail Network Development Proposals Respondents commented on the developmental potential of Illinbah, based on the belief that its current structure is not being optimised. There are suggestions that the City has the opportunity to step in and assist the current operators to bring the property back in line with national standards, which would enable it to reinstate the national races previously help at this venue. Further there were said to be opportunities for enduro development.
- “[This venue] Doesn’t get the attention it deserves.” - “This is a national standard race track that I operated for 5 years […]. Would love to see council help the new operators get national races back to Illinbah.” - “[…] could be further enhanced for Enduro racing with more trails.”
Quality of Amenities and Facilities The comments were centralised around the lack of bike-transport services, trailhead and information offerings. Some respondents stated that shuttles were slow and there are no self- shuttle services. A chairlift was also suggested. Furthermore, there were no trailhead facilities at this venue. According to a respondent, events information at this venue is unclear and this loses the interest of potential riders.
- “Great trail - though only open for events, no self shuttle or use outside of racing no trailhead facilities” - “Shuttle turnaround is a bit slow, otherwise great place” - “Please build a chairlift here.” - “Never ridden because the ride days are unclear”
Accessibility / Convenience of Location Respondents reported that as trails were privately-owned, they were only opened during events and not in use outside of races, which limits the accessibility of this MTB venue. Also, the trail access was not so convenient as the venue needs 4WDs to access during rainy days. Additionally, respondents indicated that access for emergency vehicles should be addressed.
- “Great trail - though only open for events, no self shuttle or use outside of racing no trailhead facilities” - “[It is] private and only ridable at organised events” - “Access is very limited as Illinbah is on private property meaning it is only open to the public maybe once or twice a year. When it is open you are required to cross a creek, if it has been raining this can't be done in a normal car and a 4wd is required.” - “[…] Emergency vehicle access needs to be addressed.”
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 923 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Uniqueness Illinbah strength lies in being renowned for its DH track. The varied terrain and great elevations provides its comparatively unique elements and its one of only a few double black tracks in the region. - “Nothing else like it in QLD. It has a huge elevation drop. It's a proper DH track. It still has heaps of natural features and has not been dumbed down.” - “Potential to be one of the best DH trails in Australia because of the varied terrain throughout the descent.” - “Illinbah is the best DH track in SEQ.” - “It is designed for one purpose and is a double black track.” 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 924 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Satisfaction with NV Gravity Park Figure 38: Satisfaction Levels with NV Gravity Park
Your overall experience Quality of trails Quality of support facilities - trail heads, signposting, skills… Diversity of biking experiences, trails and parks Accessibility/convenience of the location Trail Congestion Uniqueness
-20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Very Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Neither Somewhat sattisfied Very satisfied
A total of 94.9% of respondents rated their overall NV Gravity trail experience as Somewhat Satisfactory (31.6%) or Very Satisfactory (63.3%). The best features of NV Gravity Park were rated as being its unique nature (92.3%), the quality of trails (90.8%) and lack of trail congestion (85.7%). The quality of support services (trail heads, sign posting & value adding services) was identified as an area in need of improvement (55.1%). Justifying the Ratings Respondents noted the untapped potential to facilitate mountain biking at this venue, its ability to provide both riders and non-riding members with camping facilities and offer good jumping opportunities. Respondents highlighted the facility being in its earlier stages of development in comparison to the other venues but were highly encouraging of the current direction of progress. Key areas listed was its level of maintenance in keeping trails safer, and the need for adequate assistance to leverage the venue up to standards.
- “Good to see it grow ... lots of potential not only for individual riders but families for a weekend away when camping is open.” - “Please support them.” - “In its embryotic stages but very good because it has lots of good jumps that also allow progression of jumping skills.” - “It is more of a groomed trail ... makes it safer.”
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 925 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT 6.Benchmarking and Case Studies
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 926 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
6. BENCHMARKING AND CASE STUDIES 6.1 Blue Derby Trails Blue Derby is one of Australia’s fastest growing mountain biking destinations. There are 25 tracks nestled within the rainforest, offering some of Tasmania’s most breathtaking scenery. The variation of tracks, range from beginners (green) to world renowned double black diamond level tracks, recommended for advanced MTB riders. Such a broad offering ensures all riders can access trails built to their needs, creating an accessible mountain biking destination for all. The popularity of Blue Derby has been uplifted by a wide range of accommodation and food and beverage offerings. The Derby Lodge, located at the base of the trails, offers a standard of mountain biking accommodation that matches the high-level trail network at Blue Derby for around $176 per night. Providing mountain bikers with secure locking facilities, bike repair tools and trail information ensures they can rest and relax before continuing with their mountain biking adventures the following day. An increase in visitation over the past 5 years has positively impacted the local community, with restaurants and cafes reporting significant increase in annual income. As a world class mountain biking destination, Blue Derby will now host major events such as the Asia Pacific Continental Enduro Series in 2018 and the Enduro World Series in 2019. These types of event will continue to build the international recognition of the destination, and as a result of the increased visitation and economic investment in the region, continue to improve social and economic benefits to the local community. Vertigo MTB is Blue Derby’s premium mountain biking business partner. With over 10 years’ experience Vertigo services the Blue Derby network with a multitude of services.
• Operating 7 days a week • Extensive fleet of shuttles and hire bikes from $58 -$238 • Multiple daily shuttle departures $30-$75 per rider depending on track and day arrangement • Live online calendar, pre-book your shuttle tickets • Vertigo Shop, 150 metres from the trail head • Bike spares and merchandise • Packages available • Trail access is free all year round • Skills Clinics from $90 per rider Mad MTB also provide a shuttle service for the Blue Derby and Blue Tier Trail Network, with:
• Daily uplift shuttle services from $30-70 per rider depending on track and day arrangement • Quality Merida dual suspension bikes from $70-$125 • Group package discounts • Private airport transfers 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 927 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Premium MTB Transfers offer:
• Flexible, personalised and private chartered shuttle services from $200-$600 for a maximum of 11 riders. • Airport Transfers from Derby to Launceston Airport and vice versa from $300 • Airport transfers from Launceston airport to Launceston and surrounding areas or Launceston to Launceston airport from $60
Images courtesy of world-trail.com, mountainbiketasmania.com and vertigomtb 6.2 Barossa Visitor Centre Bike Hub In 2015 the Barossa Cycle Hub was opened in Tanunda – a small town in the Barossa Valley located approximately 70km north-east of Adelaide. Costing an estimated $460,000 to build, the project was co-funded by Barossa Council and the Australian Government through the Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund Grants Program. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 928 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
The Barossa Cycle Hub is a one-stop shop for cyclists and includes complimentary amenities such as toilets, showers, change rooms, bike storage, bike maintenance station, regional cycle and tourism information, lockers, picnic tables, shelters and a vending machine with purchasable bike accessories. The Cycle Hub also offers bike hire from $30-$44 per day. The aim of the Hub is to boost the region’s growing appeal to cyclists through facilities and services that can be accessed outside traditional retail hours. This is the first dedicated cycle tourism facility in regional South Australia and it is intended to become a focal meeting point for cyclists – one which complements the region’s 40kms of cycling and walking paths and provides direct access to food, wine, retail and other tourist activities.
Image courtesy of: southaustralia.com
6.3 Ride Rotorua Ride Rotorua provides a one-stop shop for anything a MTB visitor may need when coming to the region. This includes vital and easy to access information on accommodation, bike hire, food, services, shops, activities, trail maps and trail information. While large, printable versions of the trail maps are not available online, information is supplied on where and how to purchase maps that may be useful for the various trail-areas.
While Ride Rotorua itself does not have dedicated Facebook or other social media pages, mountain biking in Rotorua is promoted through the region’s dedicated event pages. The Rotorua Bike Festival, which has been running since 2013, regularly updates its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, with posts reminding visitors about the fun of the previous year’s event.
On these pages, the underlying theme of year-round visitation to Rotorua is also constantly reinforced, with vivid images, videos and promotions posted regularly. Rotorua Bike Festival currently has over 12,000 Facebook ‘likes’, 599 Twitter followers and 459 Instagram followers. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 929 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Ride Rotorua offers coaching, bike hire, a bike shop which sells and services bikes and a helicopter experience which flies visitors to the most unique trails. Unique features such as the Timber Trail bridge add character to this experience. Ride Rotorua promotes Southstar Shuttles, which uplifts MTBrs to the top of Whakarewarewa Forest in Rotorua.
Shuttles are available for: • 1 Uplift: $10 • Uplifts shareable: $40 • 16 Uplifts shareable: $100 • 50 Uplifts (40 individual + 10 share): $200 • 50 Uplifts shareable: $260 • Private Shuttles from $110 per hour for a 7-seater Land Rover and 29 or 45 seater bus
Image courtesy of RideNZ
6.4 Makara Peak MTB Park Makara Peak MTB Park is a 250-hectare reserve with a trail network of over 40km, located just outside Wellington, New Zealand. More than 80,000 visits are made to the park annually by mountain bikers of all ages and abilities as well as hikers and runners (who constitute around 30% of visits). The park is situated on Wellington City Council land and managed under a partnership between the Council and a pro-active membership-based community organization known as Makara Peak MTB Park Supporters. The group contributes more than 4,500 volunteer hours annually to park projects including trail maintenance and development and conservation work. Since inception in 1998 the Makara Peak Supporters have developed more than 40kms of predominantly hand-built single-track, planted over 35,000 native plant seedlings and contributed to pest plant and 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 930 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT animal control, waterway restoration and bushfire risk reduction activities. The group is also very active in fundraising to support the park through both donations and grants. Makara Peak Supporters host events including corporate work parties and promotion of the park through their website, social media platforms and regular newsletters. The park has received numerous awards, including the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards 2014 and NZ Recreation Association ‘Most Outstanding Park’ 2010.
Image courtesy of NewZeland.com
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 931 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
6.5 Valmont Bike Park: The unofficial centre of mountain biking in Colorado. Parklands has over 60km of trails for beginners, intermediate and advanced MTB riders. Valmont Bike Park is a 42-acre, natural surface cycling terrain park offering diverse amenities for several riding styles and abilities. The park is free and open daily from dawn to dusk as weather and trail conditions allow. Toilets are available and there is a vending machine which accepts cash and all major credit cards. Bike rentals are available from local shops but not provided by the park itself. The park is utilised by the local Valmont Bike Park Camp and Girls shred Summer Camp.
Images courtesy of Uncover Colorado, VitalMTB 6.6 Parklands Conservation Park Parklands State Forest on the Sunshine Coast, now known as Parklands Conservation Park, features well-built single-track trails, which require an advanced skill level and fitness. Parklands Conservation Park provides sub-tropical bush rainforest and eucalypt with big climbs, fast DHs and creek crossings. The creek crossings are rock based, so no damage is done when riding over them. There are no services provided. The trails are supported by Sunshine Coast Trail Alliance. Parkland Conservation Park provides parking and information facilities; however, no shuttles or bike rentals are available.
Image courtesy of Biking with [email protected] 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 932 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
6.7 Whistler Blackcomb Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, and 3 glaciers combined. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler MTB Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. Whistler also hosts Crankworx, a multi-stop international festival series, bringing together the best MTB athletes to compete in elite-level competitions in a variety of disciplines, as well as hosting races for amateurs; Kidsworx contests for young riders, participatory events, and celebrations of MTB culture, all while showcasing amazing destinations. Whistler Blackcomb offer accommodation options to suit a wide range of budgets, and rider requirements e.g. luxury hotel suites, studios, and family friendly options .There is also a range of amenities to suit all the riders’ needs, such as the Garbanzo Bike and Bean shop and complementary wash stations and a variety of cafes and restaurants, including fast food chains, bar and grills and fine dining featuring world renown chefs. Lift Tickets are available for: • 1 Day – $98 USD • 2 Day - $195 USD Whistler has a demo fleet of bikes serviced daily which ranges from recreational, XC and electric assisted to DH. These bikes are available for hire from $135-$252. There is also a bike school which varies from kids, teens and adults to private lessons, from $289 - $1,895 per person, depending on the number of days in the package. There is a washing station available to wash the mud off bikes and pieces of clothing.
Image courtesy Tourism Whistler Image courtesy vitalmtb: David Trumpore
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 933 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
6.8 Hidden Vale Adventure Park (HVAP) HVAP is located an hour’s drive west of Brisbane, offering a multi-use 110 plus kilometre trail network for MTB riders, runners and walkers, winding through the expansive 12,000 acre Nature Refuge property. The park can be accessed for $10 per person, per day - with annual memberships available for $179. A map of the park trail network is provided following sign in at the trail head. Bike washing stations are available for riders. Bike rentals are available from $60-$95. Tours; inclusive of luggage transfers, food and beverages, bike hire and equipment, guidance and accommodation are also available from $599-$1099. Private Shuttle services are available from $349. Operating out of Spicers Hidden Vale, a range of luxury accommodation options are available from $379 -$1519 per night. HVAP hosts multiple events, including:
• Giant 3plus3 (2019) • Flight Centre Cycle and Trail Run EPIC (2019) • 99 Bikes Dingo (2018) • Ipswich Trail Run Series (2019) • Merida Hidden Vale 24HR (2019) Event apparel is available from the HVAP Shop, pricing from $15 for a Merida Baseball Cap to $50 for a Flight Centre Sports and Events Cycle Epic Jersey.
Image courtesy of hiddenvaleadventurepark.com
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 934 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT 7. Gold Cost Business Supply Audit and Economic Value
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 935 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
7. GOLD COAST BUSINESS SUPPLY AUDIT AND ECONOMIC VALUE 7.1 Supplier Survey and Audit As part of the supply audit, a sample of businesses who were identified as providing products and services for the MTB sector or who were identified as benefitting from the surrounding MTB industry were invited to take part in an online supplier survey. Selected businesses were from the whole of local industry and ranged across accommodation, retail, tourism and sport and recreation sectors. The common theme was that the businesses were either direct or indirect beneficiaries of MTB expenditure and visitation. Due to the sensitive nature of the survey seeking financial information, many suppliers were reluctant to complete the online questionnaires. As such, the sample generated did not allow for reliable and robust granular analysis of the surveys received. This was addressed by placing greater emphasis on one to one supplier interviews, discussed in section 7.2. A brief summary of the results of the completed surveys can be found below:
• Responding suppliers operated in retail (50%), tourism, sports and recreation (33.3%) and accommodation (16.7%) sectors • The estimated percentage of annual turnover that is related to MTB was estimated at ~44.5% • Operating hours varied from the standard 8:30am – 5pm, to 24hrs per day • All respondent businesses operate 7 days per week • On average, 68% of their suppliers were currently based on Gold Coast • Supplied goods ranged from cleaning products and lawn care, to dried food goods, maintenance and repair services, catering and stationary • Key selling points were noted as being unique products and services such as MTB coaching and tours, locations, skilled staff and limited stock e.g. e-bikes • Respondents declined to provide an average estimate of annual turnover • Clientele was estimated as being 61.7% Gold Coast local residents vs 38.3% visitors to the region • Peak periods were noted as being weekends, with Saturday mornings in particular • Half of respondents noted having good working relationships with other MTB facilities and suppliers • Half of respondents rated the MTB sector as being somewhat important to their business, whilst 25% rated it as very important or extremely important respectively • Respondents decline to provide an average estimate of annual expenditure • Primary target markets were said to be males, aged 15-35yrs or 35-45yrs • Secondary target markets were said to be females, aged 35-45yrs 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 936 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
• Additional trail development was recognised as being critical for capturing more tourism • The biggest challenge was said to be the provision of decent legal trails and good signage.
7.2 Supplier Interviews A total of 12 interviews were carried out with a range of local businesses that engage with mountain biking, including local bike shops, cafes and tour operators. The following points summarise this consultation program:
• From a retail perspective, mountain biking is most important to the shops clustered around The Nerang National Park. While other shops may sell MTBs, the shops at Nerang National Park are well known for specialising in mountain biking
• Most MTB riders purchase bikes costing between $3,000 and $5,000, service these bikes between two and four times per year (each costing between $100 and $300, depending on the type of service and equipment required) and would purchase around $1,000 of mountain biking equipment or clothes per year
• MTB shops service predominantly a local residential market, however, some have customers from outside Gold Coast and/or receive visitors, but these markets make a very small contribution to the overall business
• Only a very small (less than 1%) proportion of products sold locally come from within Australia. All bikes and other equipment are manufactured overseas and imported into Australia. The majority of distribution takes place via Melbourne and Sydney hubs
• There are only a small number of cafes and food/drink businesses that receive significant amounts of MTB custom, with these typically located near trails. For the majority of these businesses, MTB customers still only make up a small portion (approximately 10-15%) of customers
• Exiting touring services cater for general leisure experiences – mountain biking does not feature on itineraries at present. Only one shop was identified as considering a MTB hire for offer for touring visitors.
• Sentiment amongst shop owners/managers and tour operators was mixed in regard to what was needed on Gold Coast to encourage mountain biking tourism. Some felt that additional trails and a greater diversity of trails was required, while others felt that the existing trails (and predominantly Nerang National Park) was sufficient and that more marketing externally and more signage locally was required.
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 937 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
7.3 Current Economic Value of MTB to the Gold Coast The current economic value of mountain biking to Gold Coast has been measured in three ways:
• Contribution to tourism (i.e. visitor expenditure on Gold Coast related to mountain biking) • Contribution from local residents (i.e. local resident expenditure on mountain biking) • Contribution from mountain biking events on Gold Coast (i.e. visitor expenditure associated with various mountain biking events on Gold Coast) Tourism Contribution Using data from the rider demand survey (in particular, rider residential location and frequency of trips), it has been estimated that Gold Coast receives 58,026 annual visitors for mountain biking with the majority of these (83%) being day trip visitors. Combined, these visitors spend $25.2 million on Gold Coast. Relatively speaking, mountain biking visitors make up 0.44% of total visitation to Gold Coast and 0.49% of total visitor expenditure. Based on this level of expenditure, mountain biking tourism contributes $18.2 million to Gold Coast economy (in GRP terms) and supports 162 jobs (both directly and indirectly).
Table 13. Mountain Biking Visitation and Expenditure (Excluding Events), Gold Coast
Visitors (No.) Day Trip 47,904 Domestic Overnight 9,337 International 784 Total Visitors 58,026 Expenditure ($m) Day Trip $7.92 Domestic Overnight $15.69 International $1.58 Total Expenditure $25.19
Source: Lucid Economics.
Table 14. Mountain Biking Economic Contribution, Tourism
Gross Regional Product ($m) Gross Value Added ($m) Employment (No.) Direct $10.25 $9.31 112 Indirect $7.90 $6.99 50 Total $18.15 $16.31 162 Note: Employment is presented in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Source: Lucid Economics.
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 938 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
7.4 Residential (local population) Contribution to Economic Impact The economic contribution of mountain biking from local residents was estimated using national benchmarks for MTB participation (AusPlay,2018), and data from the rider demand survey (in particular their frequency of rides). It has been estimated that there are 5,316 resident MTB riders that took 485,000 rides over the last year. It is estimated that each of these riders spends $3,397 per year locally on mountain biking, which includes equipment purchases, servicing and food and beverage expenses associated with rides. Overall, local resident MTBrs contribute $24.0 million to the local economy last year. Based on this level of expenditure, residential MTB riders contribute $29.9 million to Gold Coast economy (in GRP terms) and supports 172 jobs (both directly and indirectly).
Table 11. Mountain Biking Economic Contribution, Local Riders
Gross Regional Product ($m) Gross Value Added ($m) Employment (No.) Direct $11.60 $10.53 135 Indirect $18.29 $16.19 37 Total $29.89 $26.72 172 Note: Employment is presented in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Source: Lucid Economics.
7.5 Event Contribution There were three major mountain biking events on Gold Coast over the last year (excluding GC2018 as this event does not take place annually on Gold Coast), including:
• Pan Pacific Masters Games (2-11 November 2018) • MTBA XC National Series - Round 3 & 4 (13-14 January 2018) • National School Championships (3-5 August 2018) In order to evaluate these events, data and information directly from event organisers was sourced regarding participation and the residential location for each participant. In order to identify visitors that would be accompanying the participant, national benchmarks from the National Visitor Survey (NVS) as well as benchmarked sporting events were used. Combined, these events had 735 participants and a total of 1,262 visitors that generated 3,901 visitor nights. Using average expenditure per visitor night of $274 from the NVS, these visitors spent $1.1 million in the local economy. Based on this level of expenditure, mountain biking events contributed $0.8 million to Gold Coast economy (in GRP terms) and supported 7 jobs (both directly and indirectly).
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 939 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Table 12. Mountain Biking Economic Contribution, Events
Gross Regional Product ($m) Gross Value Added ($m) Employment (No.) Direct $0.43 $0.39 5 Indirect $0.34 $0.30 2 Total $0.77 $0.69 7 Note: Employment is presented in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Source: Lucid Economics.
7.6 Overall Impact Mountain biking on the Gold Coast is estimated to contribute $72.4 million (in GRP terms) and 551 jobs (both directly and indirectly). On a direct basis, mountain biking contributes 0.10% to the Gold Coast’s GRP and 0.16% of total jobs (on an FTE basis).
Table 13. Mountain Biking Economic Contribution, Combined
Gross Regional Product ($m) Gross Value Added ($m) Employment (No.) Direct $22.29 $20.24 252 Indirect $26.52 $23.47 89 Total $48.81 $43.72 341 Note: Employment is presented in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Source: Lucid Economics.
7.6 Natural Growth Profile of Gold Coast MTB Given sector participation, demographic and tourism trends, the existing level of mountain biking visitation to Gold Coast is likely to continue to grow, even without any interventions from the City of Gold Coast.
As the rider demand survey showed, the majority of current visitors to Gold Coast are from SEQ and Northern New South Wales, creating a strong mountain biking visitor demand within Gold Coast drive area. Many of these visitors are likely stay on Gold Coast given the existing amenity and family requirements that many riders may have, despite being within an easy day trip drive.
One element Gold Coast does not currently capitalise on however is interstate or international visitors for mountain biking. As such, the future potential growth for overnight MTB visitation is limited to the existing catchment. The majority of MTB visitation (83%) is from day trip visitors and that the majority of overnight MTB visitors are from the surrounding region, demonstrates a strong reliance that that Gold Coast has on the local region for MTB visitors at present.
In order to estimate the future MTB visitation for Gold Coast under a status quo or ‘normal growth’ scenario, current average annual growth rate of cycling on Gold Coast (4.9%) has been used for modelling purposes. This is a more conservative estimate of industry growth than the wider SEQ or QLD cycling industry growth, as discussed on page 43. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 940 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Under these forecasts, MTB visitors would grow from 58,026 to 89,249 over the next ten years (Figure 39). Additionally, the growth of the economic contribution of mountain biking visitors under normal conditions, is forecast to add approximately $9.8 million in GRP and 87 jobs above the 2018 levels (Figure 40).
Figure 39. Normal Growth Scenario, MTB Visitors, Gold Coast
100,000 6.0% 90,000 5.0% 80,000 70,000 4.0% 60,000 50,000 3.0% 40,000
Visitors(No.) 2.0%
30,000 Annual Growth (%) GrowthAnnual 20,000 1.0% 10,000 0 0.0% 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Visitors Annual Growth
Source: Lucid Economics
Figure 40. Normal Growth Scenario, Overnight Mountain Biking GRP and Employment, Gold Coast
$30 300
$25 250
$20 200
$15 150
$10 100 Employment(No.)
$5 50 Gross Regional Product ($m)Product GrossRegional
$0 0 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Gross Regional Product Employment
Source: Lucid Economics
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 941 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT 8. Investment Impact Analysis
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 942 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
8. INVESTMENT IMPACT ANALYSIS The region provides a diverse range of natural environments and topography that lends itself to mountain biking and the climate provides the opportunity for 12 months of riding potential - something that most existing mountain biking destinations cannot offer. All of the existing tourism infrastructure, including Gold Coast Airport (with regular and often discounted airfares from a number of locations to Gold Coast), a wide range of accommodation options as well as a full amenity offering for riders, families, partners and anyone who might travel with a MTB rider, makes Gold Coast a prime candidate for expanding its current tourism offerings to include mountain biking. Mountain biking could become a significant additional reason to visit the Gold Coast and grow the local economy either as a value adding activity (by increasing the average length of stay of visitors, or increasing their spend per day) or as the ‘tipping point’ when choosing between locations with similar offerings. With a quality trail network and support services, Gold Coast could become the trail network of choice for local and regional riders; effectively stealing market share from local competitors such as Hidden Vale or Sunshine Coast. If Gold Coast could reach its potential in become a cohesive, well-structured and managed mountain biking destination with quality trails and support facilities, then future mountain biking visitation would grow significantly. Benchmarking with a number of recognised mountain biking destinations was conducted (Table 14) to provide a basis for modelling Gold Coast’s growth prospects should it seek to position itself as a national and international mountain biking hub.
Table 14. Benchmarking, Annual Mountain Biking Visitation
Thredbo Tasmania Queenstown NZ Average Day Trip 4,614 7,898 2,079 4,864 Domestic Overnight 18,104 10,404 14,578 14,362 International 1,217 4,912 31,754 12,628 Total 23,934 23,214 48,411 31,853 Note: Thredbo visitation is based on leisure visitors participating in ‘cycling’ for the Jindabyne – Berridale SA2. As cycling is only possible in summer, it has been assumed that all cycling leisure visitors are mountain bikers. Tasmanian day trip, domestic overnight and international visitor split estimated using the Tasmanian split for ‘cycling’ as this breakdown is not available through the TVS.
Source: TRA (2018b); TRC (2017); TVS (2018)
Figure 41 provides an overview of growth potential over the next decade.
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 943 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Figure 41 Potential Future Mountain Biking Visitation Growth
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000 Visitors(No.) 60,000
40,000
20,000
0 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Status Quo Mountain Bike Destination
Source: Lucid Economics.
8.1 Direct and Indirect Economic Impact per annum over 10 years If Gold Coast is successful in building its role as a mountain biking hub (meeting the needs of leisure visitors and enthusiasts) it is estimated that by 2027 the economy has the potential to increase by $31.4 million (in GRP terms) and 280 jobs over the ‘status quo’ scenario. On a cumulative basis, over the ten year period, becoming a mountain biking hub would create $124.0 million (in GRP terms, undiscounted) and 1,106 jobs (where one job equates to one FTE position for the period of one year). (Figure 42, Table 14).
Figure 42. Future Mountain Biking GRP and Employment, Gold Coast
$70 600
$60 500 $50 400 $40 300 $30 200
$20 Employment(No.)
$10 100 Gross Regional Product ($m)Product GrossRegional $0 0 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Status Quo - GRP Mountain Bike Destination - GRP Status Quo - Emp Mountain Bike Destination - Emp
Source: Lucid Economics
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 944 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Table 15. Economic Impact of Becoming a Mountain Biking Destination (Gold Coast) 2027 (2018$)
Gross Regional Gross Value Employment Product ($m) Added ($m) (No.) Status Quo Direct $15.77 $14.33 172 Indirect $12.15 $10.75 77 Total $27.92 $25.08 249 Mountain Bike Destination Direct $33.51 $30.44 366 Indirect $25.82 $22.85 164 Total $59.34 $53.30 529 Increase Above Status Quo Direct $17.74 $16.12 194 Indirect $13.67 $12.10 87 Total $31.41 $28.21 280
Note: Employment is presented in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.
Source: Lucid Economics
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 945 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
9. Positioning as a Mountain Biking Destination
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 946 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
9 MARKET POSITIONING OF MOUNTAIN BIKING AS A DESTINATION
9.1 Current Marketing and Positioning of Gold Coast Mountain Biking The Queensland MTB Strategy identifies Gold Coast as a priority area for the development and growth of mountain biking.
REGION SCALE OPPORTUNITY DELIVERABILITY PRIORITY Gold Coast High Excellent Short High
Similarly, as noted in the previous section of the report, a range of Gold Coast strategy and policy initiatives support development of the sector. Hosting the GC2018 mountain biking events at the Nerang National Park and Gold Coast Cycling Centre provided a boost to the profile of the region as a serious biking destination
The region has a number of leading attributes and unique selling points (USPs): • Weather: great all year climate with the benefit of ideal conditions during southern states’ winters • High standard of strategic access – the region is served by two airports • Easy access to the majority of the region’s mountain biking sites – all are within a short drive of Gold Coast Airport and Gold Coast’s main visitor hubs • Population: A large and growing population in Gold Coast and SEQ which drives utilisation of mountain biking facilities • An active mountain biking community including four MTB clubs • The benefits of a being an established leisure tourism destination with growing domestic and international visitor markets • Proven regional capacity to deliver on significant / major events and alignment to TEQ’s (Events Strategy) aspirations of being the “State of Endurance” • More DH gravity trails than elsewhere in Queensland • Complementary MTB assets in neighbouring regions in SEQ.
To date, mountain biking in the Gold Coast has largely been an activity based around local participation and the enthusiast sector. Only recently has a number of trail assets and venues been added to the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse – as such, from a leisure tourism perspective, mountain biking is a new and emerging proposition.
However, the region has the attributes associated with being a trail town as defined by Mountain Biking Australia. Consensus from stakeholder consultation and the consumer surveys carried out during this project is that while the destination has aspirations to be a world class destination, it cannot be categorised at this level at present. Gold Coast currently ranks well as a MTB destination in SEQ, but less so when compared with the best national and international competitors. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 947 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
9.2 Future Positioning Gold Coast has the potential to excel at hosting national and international MTB events and through targeted expansion and improvement of its leading trails, MTB venues and support facilities - continuing to grow its appeal to mountain biking enthusiasts. Further economic growth can be gained from visitors whose primary motive for their trips is mountain biking. Survey responses confirm that quality and diversity of trails are the key considerations in delivering potential. However, greatest initial potential for economic growth from tourism markets will come from positioning mountain biking as a complementary activity alongside Gold Coast’s existing leading visitor experiences. Destinations such as Blue Derby which are recognised as market leaders often tend to have biking as their sole experience - Gold Coast as a destination offers a very different proposition, with a wealth of class-leading visitor experiences already in place. Mountain biking as one element of a broader nature-based and activity proposition can play an important role in building overall destination appeal – contributing to growing overall destination appeal, average length of stay and expenditure. Growing awareness, effective packaging, and targeted investment in infrastructure and relating services which make the experiences welcoming and easy to access for visitors are the keys to success. From an infrastructure perspective, this market largely requires white and green level trails – upgrading and building on these assets should therefore be a priority. Results of the user surveys also showed a strong interest in visiting trails in surrounding areas as part of a mountain biking trip to Gold Coast. The trail audit (section 5) also demonstrated the depth and range of trails in South East Queensland and Northern NSW. Consultation with surrounding local government areas also showed strong levels of interest in working across borders to promote a coherent regional mountain biking proposition to visitor markets. While not a comment on branding and marketing initiatives, there is certainly merit from a product and consumer demand perspective in considering regional collaboration opportunities. From a community perspective, all local population forecasts and national trend and participation data suggests that there will be a sustained growing demand for mountain biking facilities. Accessibility and aligning facility quality with demand will continue to be the key issues for this market – health and fitness will continue to the drivers of demand. 9.3 Recommendations 1. The recommended positioning of mountain biking as a set of tourism experience opportunities for leisure visitors (primary opportunity) and MTB enthusiasts (secondary opportunity) (including events) is adopted by City of Gold Coast and Destination Gold Coast, and integrated into emerging destination planning and management.
2. Consensus from stakeholder consultation was that initial emphasis should be placed on improving existing assets and infrastructure prior to consideration of a broader marketing focus.
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 948 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT 10. Governance and Partnerships
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 949 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
10 GOVERNANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS 10.1 Current Management and Co-ordination Arrangements Traditionally much of the trail network available to riders has been located in National Parks and Forestry estates, but as mountain biking demand has continued to experience sustained growth, local governments as well as private landowners have become increasingly important management and operational players. Gold Coast benefits from having a range of mountain biking and multi-use trail options across State Government (National Parks), City of Gold Coast and private sector tenures. However, management and co-ordination across the trail network, in regard to infrastructure investment and development, operations and development and packaging/marketing has long been recognised as an important issue that needs to be addressed if Gold Coast’s potential as a nationally and internationally important mountain biking hub is to be realised. With sustained growth, and the untapped economic potential which exists, a co-ordinated approach to development and management will be required to ensure the trails and supporting infrastructure are developed and maintained to the required standards. Although a local mountain biking strategy document is not currently in place, the Gold Coast has already made positive strides in terms of local co-ordination. The Gold Coast MTB Working Group, which is led by City, comprises of representatives from QPWS, DES, Nerang Trail Care Alliance, DGC, TEQ and MTBA. The working group convenes on a regular basis and coordinates research, planning, funding opportunities, events and management actions.
Figure 44: Requirements of a Management Model
An effective management model that commits all stakeholders to implementation of the agreed plan will be essential. Key elements in the governance and co-ordination remit include
Choosing a model that engages all key stakeholders – residents, Choosing a model that mountain biking A model which is improves resource community, conservation efficiency in trial structured in a manner stakeholders, business that provides the management and stakeholders and maintenance necessary trust among local/state government public and private sector agencies partners
Having a model that A model which has the include agencies that are necessary delegated capable of bidding for authority to close or external funding formalise illegal/informal trails
Governance A commitment to work & Co- A model/ framework that towards agreed priorities includes a marketing and Ordination promotional remit 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 950 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
10.2 Support for Private Sector Trail Networks Gold Coast benefits from a number of active local mountain biking clubs, including two privately managed facilities at Boomerang Farm and NV Gravity Park. From a co-ordination, management and development perspective, a number of themes emerged as being important considerations;
• Engagement as part of the overall network of mountain biking facilities - this is provided for via the mountain biking working group • Understanding of the need for a City-wide approach to growing and managing mountain biking • Support for establishing clustering/ development opportunities with other businesses and public sector agencies • Proactive identification of new trail development opportunities across a range of tenures • Advice/ guidance on accessing tourism opportunities • Communication and networking • Accessing guidance and support on funding opportunities. 10.3 Management of The Nerang National Park Trails Nerang National Park is the Gold Coast’s key mountain biking location – its largest network of trails. City of Gold Coast manages the adjacent Gold Coast Cycle Centre (incl. outdoor velodrome, off-road criterium circuits, clubhouse and grandstand, changing facilities), whilst the adjacent trail network is managed by the Queensland Government (Department of Environment and Science (DES)). The National Park’s management and resourcing of trails is critical to short and medium-term development plans for the sector. Growing demand for mountain biking creates management and resourcing challenges (as well as raising potential conflicts with the National Park’s broader conservation objectives), therefore it is recognised that an innovative management approach will be required to support future management if mountain biking is to continue to flourish and deliver on its economic potential. The DES conducted an audit of the MTB trails at the Nerang National Park during the same period as this research study has been conducted. The results of the audit are not yet available, however consultation with DES managers clarified:
• DES’s priority for trail maintenance will largely be in zone 1 as marked in figure 45 which covers the majority of the formal trail network. A decreasing priority is likely to be given to trail maintenance in zones 2, 3 and 4 • There is recognition that new trails can be considered but the priority is for management of the existing trails, building connections etc • While Nerang National Park is designated for conservation purposes, zone 1 as a whole is seen as being of lesser conservation/biodiversity value compared with elsewhere in the Park 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 951 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
• The growing pressure for a greater number of formal events is recognised as a management concern – intensity of use and volume of visitors on site are issues to be considered • Recognition that MTB demand is likely to continue growing with resulting management and maintenance challenges. Adoption of new technologies such as e- bikes has the potential to drive further demand and usage on different types/ difficulties of trail • Recognition of growing MTB pressures (unofficial trails and formal trail extension request) in outer parts of the Park (zones 3 and 4) • The access point at Gold Coast Cycle Centre is not seen as ideal, particularly as growing demand is anticipated • While development of new trails is not seen as a priority, fire trails may offer potential as a means of extending and connecting the trail network.
When the audit is completed, a priority should be to compare audit findings alongside the user/customer feedback from the surveys conducted during this survey. Themes such as creating a welcoming and effective access point, trail maintenance priorities which correspond to enthusiast and leisure cyclists, investment in supporting infrastructure, connectivity between trails etc will be common to both of these strategic/ planning exercises.
Figure 45: Department of Education and Science – Draft Nerang Trails Development Priorities
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 952 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Particular issues arising from user surveys and consultation include;
• Public sector resources are constrained – there is a need for collaboration to make the most effective use of resources • Gold Coast Cycle Centre’s proximity to Nerang National Park trails provides a further practical rationale for co-operation between the City of Gold Coast and the Queensland Government • There is a finite period for partners to leverage the profile advantages gained through the Nerang National Park’s hosting of the GC2018 MTB events • Growing demand for mountain biking is likely to continue building pressure on maintenance and operational resources, particularly in the area identified by the Queensland Government as zone 1 (majority of formal trails network) • Designation as a national park brings obligations to consider broader conservation goals, not solely the management of recreation and mountain biking. This can lead to conflicting objectives – for instance, events are an important economic driver but also create the most intensive usage which brings management challenges • Designation as a National Park restricts the ability to fully monetise or support commercialisation of Nerang’s mountain biking assets. It is understood that at present the Queensland Government is not considering the application of a user pays model, for charging for use of trials. The only current means of monetising access and contributing to trail development/ maintenance is via one off permits for events. • In practical terms, current management arrangements make it challenging for the City to consider supporting maintenance and development of the principal MTB asset in the region. City have been keen to explore opportunities for closer management collaboration. Analysis of case studies shows examples of a range of partnership models for individual trails which are used throughout Australia and internationally. These could provide potential options for the Nerang National Park, as discussed on the following pages of the report.
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 953 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Sole Agency Management of Trails
Features A formal partnership governed by terms of reference, contract or memorandum of understanding (MOU).
- Kangaroo Island new walk - Mount Stromlo Examples - Overland Track - Larapinta Trail - New Zealand Great Walks
- Clarity in terms of roles and responsibilities - Where a large new project or facility is proposed and the risk level is Benefits high, government is well placed to facilitate initial investment - Suited to complex environments where there are competing land uses/policy drivers - strong, executive decision making powers are valuable - Can enable quick decision-making but not always - In principle, it is easier to apply consistent service standards
- Resources for management and maintenance are often stretched - Arrangement only covers the estate managed by the government agency in question - Ability to leverage external funding is limited - Opportunities to take a commercial approach are constrained - Consumers and wider tourism industry vulnerable to overall agency resourcing Challenges and prioritisation - Limited ability to leverage funding and broader community support - Changing political and operational approaches and priorities outside the influence of trail users/ visitors - Funding may not be linked to strategic priorities and government is often excluded from applying for grants appropriate funding sources - Any revenue generated often return to overall resources, and is not ringfenced for trail maintenance
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 954 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Partnerships- Memorandum of Understanding
A formal partnership governed by terms of reference, contract or memorandum of Features understanding (MOU)
Noosa trails management - Noosa Council provided funding to the Noosa Trailblazers for trail maintenance on the MTB trails in Woorori/Tewantin National Park, via a community grant – a grant of $10k which was required to be matched by the grant recipient. The funding enabled the club to engage a professional contractor to do the 'heavy' maintenance work, trail realignment etc. This was the first grant for operational work which the mountain biking club received from Council. Examples Two working relationships were in place in delivering this program; - A contractual relationship between Council and the MTB club in defraying the grant - A working relationship between QPWS and the MTB Club in managing/delivering the trail care. To date, this relationship has been on an informal basis, however QPWS has recently prepared a formal collaborative agreement
- Useful where funding from a single source is constrained - leverages a broader support base for maintenance, development, funding, expansions, events - Shares risk among stakeholders Benefits - A formal partnership helps identify clear roles and responsibilities for individuals - Provides a mechanism for private and public sectors and broader tourism partners to participate
- A formal partnership requires capacity and willingness from stakeholders to share maintenance and development. - Some agencies can be constrained in changing their organisational culture towards working in partnership Challenges - This model does not provide a single entity that can leverage funds or employ/contract for capital and maintenance works unless one agency is charged through the MOU with overall implementation.
- Formal Collaborative Agreements can be challenging from MTB Clubs’ perspectives in that there is a risk of too many obligations being passed on to them for trail care when overall usage is outside their control (usage on trails is not only by club members).
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 955 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Partnerships – Incorporated Organisation or Trust
The agency can be an existing organisation or a new entity set up for the specific Features task
- Bibbulmun Track, WA Examples - Queenstown Trails Network, New Zealand
- Leverages a broader support base for maintenance, development, funding, expansions, events - Shares risk among partners Benefits - A formal partnership helps identify clear roles and responsibilities for individuals - An incorporated organisation will provide a solid base for implementing strategy priorities and leveraging funding.
- Stakeholders can be left holding responsibilities if other partners do not meet Challenges their obligations - Roles and responsibilities can become confused - Some agencies struggle to change organisational culture towards working in partnership - risk in delegating responsibilities
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 956 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
These concepts and models have been considered at local level – discussions between City of Gold Coast and the Queensland Government regarding options which would provide for greater co-operation in managing the trail assets at Nerang National Park (zone 1 in figure 45) have identified four principal options;
1. Land Swap • The most complete solution – City would have asset control • City would be taking formal responsibility, with the resulting probability of additional capital and operational investments • The option is dependent on having appropriate land to swap – ideally from the Queensland Government’s perspective, it would be land that’s contiguous with the current Parks estate • The obvious land area to swap is what the Queensland Government is defining as zone 1 of the Nerang National Park (bulk of formal trails) • A management agreement would need to accompany the land swap - specifying joint working arrangements and roles/responsibilities • Guidance suggests that the Queensland Government seeks land swaps on a 1:5 basis, however it is understood that there is flexibility in this regard • A minimum of 12 months would need to be provided for, for the necessary approval processes.
2. Conservation Park Trusteeship • The Nature Conservation Act provides for the option of a Conservation Park Trusteeship as a management option – context would be provided by a Conservation Park Maintenance Environmental Management Plan • This option provides surety of tenure for the City • City would be taking formal responsibility, with the resulting probability of additional capital and operational investments • A minimum of 12 months would need to be provided for, for the necessary approval processes • A management agreement would need to accompany the land swap - specifying joint working arrangements, roles and responsibilities etc.
3. Lease • The Nature Conservation Act provides for the option of leasing. Smithfield in Cairns is an example of this type of this type of arrangement • Would necessitate new investment from the City, without the same level of ownership and control of assets that other management options provide.
4. Collaborative Agreement • A formal contractual relationship that could provide for activities such as: 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 957 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
o Collaborative funding/ resourcing of trail development/ maintenance and management o Collaboration on marketing o Co-management • No ownership of asset • The likelihood of additional investment by Council being necessary.
10.4 Recommendations 1. Following on from finalisation of this research study and its consideration by the City, prepare a Gold Coast Mountain Biking Strategy, which sets a strategic direction for delivering community and economic benefits from the sector. As well as setting out a vision and clear plan of action, the document could also provide the necessary strategic rationale which supports bids for funding opportunities
2. Maintain and develop the role of Gold Coast MTB Working Group as a co-ordinating group. Terms of Reference could be evolved to focus on areas such as leading preparation of the local MTB strategy, advocacy for the sector, communications and networking etc
3. As a whole, research feedback during the study did not identify specific upgrades (nor associated costings) to trails or opportunities for new trail development which would contribute to achievement of trail town status to the necessary level of detail which would inform detailed cost benefit analysis modelling. A specific recommendation of this study is that as a priority, further consultation should be carried out with key stakeholders including the Queensland Government to identify and cost a set of infrastructure and operational scenarios, and model their resulting forecast economic benefits.
4. The Queensland Cycling Strategy and the recently published Queensland MTB Strategy provides a sound strategic planning basis, however at present there is no formal mechanism for SEQ public sector partners to work collectively on trail planning and maintenance. The trail audit carried out during this study and consultation with neighbouring Councils has shown that a strong network is already in place as well as a range of new investment opportunities should be considered. There is a strong rationale for greater co-ordination among agencies
5. It is recommended that City of Gold Coast proceed with formal discussions with the Queensland Government regarding closer co-operation in managing the Nerang National Park Trails. Of the management tools available, the land swap and
6. trusteeship options would seem to achieve the best fit from the perspectives of certainty/clarity in responsibility and asset management/ ownership. This type of partnership is crucial to unlocking the potential of Gold Coast Cycle Centre and broader Nerang Trail precinct.
779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 958 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
11.Infrastructure and Facility Upgrades 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 959 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
11 INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITY UPGRADES The Department of Environment and Science have been conducted an audit of the mountain The Queensland Mountain Biking Strategy (2018) identified that despite having approximately 840km (M Roberts, 2017) of purpose built, predominantly single track MTB trails on public and private lands across Queensland; existing trail facilities are generally experiencing high demand. Consultation with both industry stakeholders and MTB riders on Gold Coast supported this conclusion and highlighted the need to provide for the appropriate expansion of trail development as well as providing better facilities and support infrastructure to meet the existing and growing demand and needs of different MTB user groups. Mountain biking in and around the Gold Coast has only recently been added as tourism products on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) platform. Although Gold Coast (as a whole) is an established nationally recognised tourism location, the mountain biking component, as a standalone product, currently only accounts for a relatively small proportion of the overall tourism offering. Feedback suggests that Gold Coast is currently best considered a regionally significant MTB location, catering for tourism short breaks or weekend trips and providing recreational resources to the larger community rather than aiming to be a nationally significant MTB location. Based on this, development should primarily cater for interstate and intrastate tourism use and would also compliment community-based trail use. 15
Suggested Areas for Infrastructure and Facility Upgrades Rider Feedback Within the primary research conducted with MTB riders, respondents were asked for their opinions on a variety of developmental elements, including the most recommended trail locations to invest in, the best trail styles for investment and the support services in most need of future investment. These recommendations are based on riders’ experiences only, and as such do not necessarily take into consideration underlying issues such as management restrictions, planning / zoning restrictions or wider commercial considerations. It’s their interpretation of how to best develop Gold Coast into a better MTB destination.
15 Queensland Mountain Biking Strategy (2018) 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 960 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
A summary of the findings has been provided below. Trail Investment on Gold Coast When asked to nominate locations on Gold Coast respondents best suited for investment in new, or improved mountain biking trails and facilities, 36.5% of respondents nominated the Nerang MTB trails network. Please note: This was an open-ended question, from which responses were then grouped and coded accordingly. Strong support was also noted for the development of Mount Tamborine (29.8%) and Numinbah Valley (16.4%.) Hinze Dam and Boomerang Farm had support for further development to a lesser degree, as 10.1% and 7.6% of the nominated responses, whilst Old Tambo had no direct nominations.
Figure 46: Priority Areas for Investment
Canungra 4.3% Tallebugera Valley 6.3% Hinterlands in general 7.6% Boomerang 7.6% Springbrook 10.1% Hinze Dam 10.1% Curumbin 10.5% Numunbah Valley 16.4% Tamborine 29.8% Nerang 36.5%
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% Trail Types In order to better quantify and understand the perceived need for further investment, respondents were asked to narrow down which trail types they felt were in most need of further investment or development. The most common trail type suggested for improvement and/or development within Gold Coast was AM (67.6%) – consistent with being the most preferred riding style. Please note: Multiple selection of answers was available, so results refer to the percentage of riders who sought improvement and/or development in each of these trail types.
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Figure 47: Nerang Trails Development Priorities
67.6% 0.7
0.6 48.9% 44.9% 46.2% 0.5 42.6%
0.4
0.3 22.4%
0.2
0.1
0 Cross All Mountain Downhill Freeride (FR) Park Touring (TR) Country (CX) (AM) (DH) Support for the improvement and/or development of the other trail types, e.g. XC, DH, Freeride and Parks were relatively consistent (48.9%, 46.2%, 44.9%, and 42.6% respectively). Respondents indicated however, that there was little perceived need or preference for improvement and/or development in Touring trails (22.4%). Open-ended comments from respondents focused more around improving trail features rather than a particular trail type, to better serve both advance levelled riders and beginners. Greater developmental consideration was also requested for younger and family-friendly riders. Additionally, analysis was able to isolate the trail type investment preferences of riders interviewed at the three onsite venues during surveying. As can be expected, the rider preferences for investment closely aligned with the style of facility they were already attending.
MTB Facility Interviews At: Rider’s Investment Preferences: AM (48.6%) The Nerang National Park and Gold Coast XC (27.8%) Cycle Centre DH (22.2%) DH (43.8%) Boomerang Farm Freeride (43.8%) DH (65.2%) NV Gravity Park Enduro (47.8%) Freeride (47.8%)
Trail support When asked to nominate which specific support services / elements of Gold Coast trails were in need of improvement or further investment, six out of every ten respondents identified signposting (58%) as the biggest investment need. Trail heads (53.1%), bike wash bays 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 962 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
(49.7%), shuttle services (44.6%) and car parks (41.5%) were also ranked similarly, and in need of improvement or further investment. There was also support for wider network services to be invested in; particularly in relation to improving general information services and connecting the facilities to retail services such as cafes and food and drink outlets. As per rider feedback, proper signposting greatly eliminates the need for onsite Wi-Fi provisioning. Open-ended comments reinforced the need for proper consideration of toilets and showers at the Velodrome, drinking water stations along tracks, picnic and camping facilities, clear rules and regulations at MTB sites and the development of trail apps. These support services ultimately complete the rider experience. Whilst the trail will always be the driving factor to venue choice, these elements have the opportunity to add significant value to the overall experience and encourage return usage. Feedback confirmed that whilst there are a subgroup of riders who tend to tick trails off their bucket-lists, for most riders it’s about finding a local trail that provides them with the opportunity to connect to their surroundings, increase their fitness, challenges them to learn new skills and improve their personal performance, and ultimately the community rider element that enfolds all of those. Quality support services and elements like good signage, trail heads, bike wash bays, and shuttle services all contribute and facilitate these elements.
Figure 48: Support Services Required
0.7
0.6 58.0% 53.1% 49.7% 0.5 44.6% 41.5% 0.4 31.9% 31.7% 0.3
0.2 11.0% 0.1 6.8%
0 Signposting Trail heads Bike wash Shuttle Car Parks Cafes, food Information WiFi Day hotels bays services & drink connectivity outlets
A summary of how current facilities measure up in terms of these support services is contained in Figure 49. These assessments have been made based on ratings and open ended feedback from riders, as well as the trail audit findings.
Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 & Environment Economy, Planning Meeting 20 September 2019 779th Council Figure 49: Support Services Needs Assessment
Value Adding Trail heads Signposting Car parks Amenities General Services
Lack of Minimal & Unclear Sufficient but Perceived None Lacking drinking Nerang National connectivity subject to as insufficient & water, Showers,
Parks and Gold between lines & congestion. frequently locked. Social Seating & Coast Cycle Recently subject to Rubbish Bins in Lacking Trail Centre incidents of crime Car Park maintenance
Present Minimal As part of visitor Onsite café as part Lacking trails and Peter Hallinan information centre of visitor relative distance MTB Precinct & day areas with information centre big deterrent (Hinze Dam) amenities along – said to be route. expensive
Present & Sufficient Sufficient None User Pays Shuttle Lacking social NV Gravity Park Well-marked seating & Amenities Present & Sufficient Sufficient Toilets as part of User Pays Shuttle Busy on Weekends Well-marked the Golf Pro Shop Golf Course: – Expansion Boomerang Farm at entry Onsite café needed to Licensed bar facilitate greater ADOPTED number of visitors
REPORT 963 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 964 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Summary of Infrastructure Recommendations Based on the feedback received from riders and stakeholders throughout the consultation process, the following recommendations for improvements are suggested:
Table 15: Summary of Infrastructure Recommendations FACILITY CURRENT RECOMMENDED ACTION / FUTURE FEATURES FEATURE OPPERTUNITIES
Nerang National Trail Network - Better Trail Maintenance - Legalising more of Park & Gold - Develop more family trails the currently
Coast Cycle - Widen current trails to illegal trails to Centre increase flow increase quantity and diversity of
trails. - Expand current trails (e.g. Wimps,
Norco Flows) - Create scenic loop
Amenities - More toilets - Water stations - Toilets - Greater access to existing along the trails (Velodrome) amenities (e.g. adjusted - Shower facilities - Drinking Water opening hours or unlocked
(Velodrome) toilets outside office hours) - More drinking water
facilities - Placement of rubbish bins in carpark Parking - Expand to alleviate (Velodrome) congestion on weekend - Consider installing security cameras to deter crime Support Services - Significantly increase & - Uplift services improve IMBA, Difficulty (e.g. shuttles, and Trail signage chairlifts) - Consider outlining trails by trail type (e.g. Enduro) Information - Create social setting, e.g. Centre Shelter picnic or seating areas, to (Velodrome) facilitate meeting pre / post trail riding.
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FACILITY Theme RECOMMENDED ACTION / FUTURE FEATURE OPPERTUNITIES
Hinze Dam Access - Better Accessibility than only through visitor centre
Trail networks - Increase signage - Consider opening a loop around the dam
Boomerang Farm Trail Network - Trail Clean Up - Trail Expansion (as (overhanding branches, per Trailworx Audit)
bushes etc.) Potentially including - Review wooden features Enduro / DH trails to every six months as per Eastern Side of Trailworx Audit property. - Creating a feature trail (as per Trailworx Audit) Support Services - Increase amenities along the - Trail Hub trail network (either at the - Creating a trail hub
halfway point or bottom) near the shop/ - Increase shuttles to keep up facilities area would with developing demand create a great - Improved IMBA, Difficulty and atmosphere at the Trail signage park, and also extend the trails slightly. - With a shop nearby, riders would also be inclined to buy more food and drink. NV Gravity Park, Support Services - Amenities (toilets, water - Pursue plans for drinking stations etc.) None camping facilities
currently available. onsite - Social setting onsite (Work in - Increase shuttles to progress) keep up with developing demand - Food & drink options
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12. Value Adding and Commercial Opportunities
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12. VALUE ADDING OPPORTUNITIES Economic modelling results and consensus from stakeholder consultation demonstrates that alongside the ability to provide a valuable community asset that will help meet the needs of a growing population, there is potential to establish the Gold Coast as an important mountain biking destination. Given the city’s existing tourism and leisure assets, the vision is to establish and manage a thriving set of MTB experiences which complement Gold Coast’s existing signature visitor experiences. Mass market forms of mountain biking (AM/ XC) are likely to continue to be the principle drivers. The City’s positioning will continue to provide opportunities for enthusiasts and competition events, while focusing the majority of combined efforts in appealing to a broader leisure audience. Aligning with the Queensland Mountain Biking Strategy – these groups in large part correspond to Leisure -The General Cyclist and Enthusiast: The Recreational Rider segments. While there is undoubtedly potential in the longer term, this study has not identified evidence which would support major investment to create MTB hubs in the same style as standalone destinations such as Blue Derby, Stromlo or Bright. Gold Coast can function as a trail town however, the function will map onto the destination’s existing tourism DNA. This vision can be delivered by core investments based on;
• Upgrading Gold Coast Cycle Centre - Nerang will be the City’s principal trial hub. The principal trails venue requires an effective facility which makes it easy for visitors to engage in MTB; access the trails and quality amenities, offer a range of support services (e.g. bike hire, bike wash and work stands) and creates a welcoming impression (including a social space). • Targeted infrastructure and operational investment, which focuses on the existing trail network. This includes trail quality, fully functioning and well-placed trail heads, trail signposting and wayfinding, water, toilets/shower facilities. Survey responses pointed strongly towards trail diversity and quality being the underpinning factors in successful trail planning. The Gold Coast already has a diversity of assets across the region, so apart from perhaps broadening its trail networks further beyond XC, gravity and DH, it is essential that the region establish a sustained upgrading and maintenance program. • Marketing and Partnerships which gradually builds profile and awareness of the Gold Coast as a MTB destination while depth, range and quality of physical MTB assets are developed • Refreshing experiences and offering something new is recognised as important. While this research study has not uncovered compelling tourism evidence for the development of major new trails in the short term, identifying opportunities for new trail investment on either private property or public lands has an important role to play.
Evidence gathered during this study presents business opportunities which align closely with the direction set out in the Queensland Mountain Biking Strategy. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 968 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
12.1 Marketing and Profile Building Feedback from user surveys and stakeholder consultation has highlighted several potential opportunities:
• Building the basics: MTB assets (private and public) need to be registered with the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse in order to be visible to tourism markets • Destination Gold Coast working with the City and partners to start to integrate mountain biking experiences into itineraries and experience options, potentially as part of a broader adventure/activity offer initially • Exploration of collaborative initiatives with neighbouring regions, taking advantage of the wide variety of trails within a 1-3 hr radius • Raising awareness of business opportunities for existing tourism experiences such as hotels and accommodation providers, building in mountain biking as part of the ‘reasons to visit’ • Continuing to leverage the public relations value of high profile events to build reputation and awareness • Providing support for businesses to establish experience packages which incorporate mountain biking experiences
12.2 Destination Logistics and Enablers The very best mountain biking destinations make it as easy as possible for visitors to access and enjoy mountain biking experiences. Case study analysis and stakeholder consultation suggests that if the Gold Coast continues to grow appeal (particularly to the events and enthusiasts’ market) a range of connectivity enhancements will be required:
• Cycle-friendliness at Gold Coast Airport arrivals and departures • Car hire companies having the necessary types of vehicles • Accommodation being bike friendly – being aware of and providing appropriate storage facilities • Wayfinding which supports independent and group visitors as part of overall destination wayfinding, interpretative and practical signposting information.
12.3 New Trail Development Opportunities New trail development and enhancement on public sector land is not out of the question, however the need to keep adding to diversity and provide fresh experiences can also be delivered on private land. City of Gold Coast can potentially play an enabling role to help develop opportunities. This help could be in the form of;
• A prospectus or opportunity raising program containing information on areas such as scale of visitation, value of the sector, growth potential, support commitment of sector bodies and public sector agencies etc • Support which guides businesses through the regulatory environment • Proactive identification of site opportunities across a range of tenures • Advice on external funding, sponsorship and partnership opportunities 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 969 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
On their own, mountain biking trails can struggle to establish commercially viable business plans, however opportunities can be available via:
• Adding mountain biking trails to existing experiences (this could include accommodation providers etc), If the topography suits. The greatest market need is for beginner level white and green trail; however, enthusiast-level and technical trial opportunities may also be viable. • Diversification opportunities for farmers and other landowners - the opportunity for lease or revenue sharing arrangements which makes more productive use of fallow or underused land parcels.
12.4 Community Benefits Delivery of community benefits is inextricably linked to the City’s policy commitments to supporting healthy and active lifestyles and to grow participation in sport and recreation, and lead the way in becoming Australia’s most active and healthy, sport and lifestyle city. In this regard, provision of accessible facilities that meet with demographic trends will be key to achieving objectives. All trends point to continuing growth in demand for mountain biking opportunities - the concepts outlined in the recommendations of this report would directly support these ambitions. Adoption of new technologies in areas such as e-mountain bikes also have the potential to contribute to inclusiveness and accessibility agendas. In a broader sense, development of the Gold Coast’s principal mountain biking hubs as attractive, great places to visit also has a role to play in building community amenity and quality of life. For instance, an upgrading the Gold Coast Cycle Centre could be established in a manner which creates a new precinct/place to visit for Gold Coast residents and visitors. 12.5 Business Opportunities and Market Development A large component of economic value will be delivered by the private sector identifying and delivering opportunities which enhance and add value to the core trail assets. At present, in tourism terms, the destination lacks commissionable product. Trends in the market and examples from successful MTB destination suggest that opportunities could be available in the form of:
• Access: Shuttle services to principal Gold Coast visitor destinations and accommodation, subject to demand/volume of activity
• Bike hire: Bike hire options already exists, but extending opportunities to the rapidly growing e-bike sector can be a gamechanger. E-bikes offer an opportunity to extend access to trails which leisure riders would not otherwise have considered. They open up the opportunity for longer cycling sessions, help with gravity trails where shuttle services would otherwise be required, and support longer distance touring. Business opportunities of this type could be delivered by traditional MTB specialists (retail etc.) by temporary or pop-up hire facilities at trail hubs, outreach/hire services via accommodation venues and other tourism experience operators, amongst others. E- bikes’ ability to support longer riding periods and touring between venues may 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 970 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
support a broader touring experience throughout Gold Coast hinterland. Concepts such as ‘slow cycling’ would be supported by e-bike technology. From a community engagement perspective, e-bike take up also has the potential to be an important inclusivity and accessibility enabler.
• Tour guiding: new or existing tour services expanding into mountain biking itineraries. These could take the form of guided cycling on trails and/or multi venue itineraries. This type of business proposition could be enhanced by taking a broader SEQ approach to establishing a service offering.
• Coaching and skills services: tapping into the family visitor market, outdoor learning and adventure services etc, Gold Coast’s diversity of trails offers a range of potential business opportunities. Coaching camps provide bespoke camping experiences which create a sense of camaraderie and shared experience amongst guests. The coaching camp can comprise a variety of semi-permanent canvas tents, camp beds, pathways with solar lighting, camp fire pits, a large camp kitchen and a toilet/shower block. Once again, if promoted and sold in partnership with existing tourism operations, business feasibility may be enhanced. 12.6 Delivering the Economic Potential of the Nerang National Park Trails If City of Gold Coast and the Queensland Government are able to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement regarding development and maintenance of the Nerang National Park’s mountain biking trails, a key part of the City’s rationale for investment in Nerang National Park will be unlocking its commercial potential. At present, commercial or revenue potential is limited - apart from events and permit fees, there is limited means of building expenditure directly from trail users, and Gold Coast Cycle Centre’s facilities are reasonably limited at present. The inherent conservation values of the National Park also place limits on the type and intensity of acceptable commercial activities. Commercialisation of the opportunities at Nerang National Park can mean opportunities which generate revenue which help to directly offset the costs of facility provision and maintenance, but core trail and support facility provision can also be an enabler for business development which benefits Gold Coast economy as a whole. In short, well-maintained and popular MTB trails will drive footfall to the site, which will provide the fundamentals for consideration and promotion of other commercial opportunities on site. Opportunities to consider as part of Gold Coast Cycle Centre redevelopment and activation of the trails include:
• It is the norm for trails on public sector land to be free of charge to the end user – Queensland does not have a history of applying user pays models in National Parks. However, experience from the private sector run trails in the region suggests that for the enthusiast market in particular, paying for a good quality MTB experience is not a significant barrier to uptake. If state and local government policy is supportive, consideration potentially be given to considering a user pays model to selected trails at Nerang National Park. If a trail was significantly enhanced or offered a new 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 971 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
experience, the user pays model could have particular merit as a means of supporting investment
• Seeking anchor tenants for the building from service providers in complementary areas. If supported by planning and other policies, in practical terms this could mean leasing of office, storage or retail space. Complementary service providers could include;
o Adventure tourism providers such as Scouts Queensland or private sector adventure providers
o Service providers in complementary activities. Thinking laterally, complementary activities could involve areas as diverse as health care, child care, medical services etc
• Should the environment support usage, complementary leisure activities could also be considered, ranging from established types of activations such as nature-based accommodation (group or independent travellers), to other adventure options. These types of opportunities could be realised via inviting expressions of interest. Market interest and viability could initially be tested via pop-up or temporary activation opportunities
• Food and beverage options are important aspects of a functioning and sustainable cycling hub. In reality, the type of provision will correspond directly to footfall on site and financial feasibility, but evidence from other operations suggests that successful operations can contribute as much as 10% of overall revenues. The readiest form of initial opportunity would be via temporary/mobile vendors, through to permanent lease arrangements and events as the destination matures and business opportunities present themselves
• Activation of a flexible event space within Gold Coast Cycle Centre has the potential for a range of applications. Provision of ‘plug and play’ infrastructure with utility hook- ups would provide for a wide range of uses, including cycling events as well as the potential for activation via food truck events etc.
• Retail – bike services
• Creation of a services hub for bike services – bike wash, retail, hire, repair services etc. In some bike parks around the world up to 40% of patrons choose to rent a bike. Patrons generally hire bikes for one of two reasons: 1) they do not have a bike with them; or 2) they wish to get the most out of the park experience by hiring a high- performance bike (a DH bike or a demo bike). Other popular hire items in bike parks around the world are helmets, body armour, goggles and GoPros. Damage Waivers also create a material revenue stream. Evidence from USA bike parks suggests this is a profitable product/service area
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• General features skills park, which could include features such as: o Sleeper wall step down o Log bunny hop o Skinny log bridge / ladder bridge / rock bridge o Gap Jump o Table top jump o Huck to flat o Rock garden o Steep drop – get weight back o Berms at speed o Log stairwell o Pick up sticks o Wall ride o Creek crossing.
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Appendices
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APPENDIX A: Trail Audit
Please see attached audit document. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 975 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
APPENDIX B: Management Model Case Studies The Bibbulmun Foundation, Western Australia: The Bibbulmun Track Foundation is an example of a partnership model. It shares management of the Bibbulmun Track in partnership with Department of Parks and Wildlife, Western Australia. The Foundation has a broad membership with volunteers taking responsibility for maintenance of sections of the track. The incorporated Foundation attracts grants and donations as well as raising funds through guided activities and events focusing on the track. The Bibbulmun Track Foundation provides all current maps, guidebooks and publications required to walk or ride the track. Great Alpine Road Marketing Inc., Victoria: Great Alpine Road Marketing Inc was established as an incorporated body representing a number of local governments, Regional Tourism Organisations and other operators along the 400km of the Great Alpine Road in Victoria. The group coordinated the further development and promotion of the touring route during its formative years including establishing consistent infrastructure and signage on a range of land tenures. Funding came from contributions from partners as well as grants that were committed to implementing the development and marketing strategies for the benefit of all parties. Without incorporation, funds would need to have been managed within member agencies. Queenstown Trails Network, New Zealand: The Queenstown Trails network is possibly the most successful example of sustainable and collaborative trail development and management in New Zealand. The business model consists of a Queenstown Trails Trust whose role is to:
i. provide leadership and advocacy and raise funds for trail construction ii. mobilise the community and business sector to provide support in-kind, to establish new services for the trails, negotiate access over private land and provide sponsorship iii. market and promote the trails and collaborate with the two main agencies, Department of Conservation and Queenstown Lakes District Council, for ongoing maintenance of the trails network. The Trails Trust drives strategy and direction while the two agencies provide maintenance services, often with the assistance of the Friends of the Trails Trust (community volunteers). Milford Track, New Zealand: The Milford Track is a good example of an agency sole managed model. New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) manages the 53km track, undertaking all maintenance and development work. There are no volunteers or community groups involved. Freedom walkers stay in huts provided by DOC. Those walking with Ultimate Hikes, the only commercial operator on the Milford Track, stay in private lodges. A substantial portion of Ultimate Hike’s license fees goes towards track maintenance. Ultimate Hikes guide approximately 6,000 private clients on the Milford Track per year. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 976 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Banks Peninsula Track, New Zealand: The Banks Peninsula Track is a leading example of a private trail. It is a collaboration of five farming families located near Akaroa, one hour’s drive from Christchurch. Group size is limited to 12 persons. A portion of revenue is put towards the maintenance of the trail and facilities. This is the responsibility of the seven shareholder properties. Decision - making is by consensus. A concession is held by the Banks Peninsula Track company, to access protected areas managed by Government. Noosa Trails, Sunshine Coast: The Noosa Trail Network is made up of eight scenic hinterland trails suitable for walking, horse riding or mountain biking. The trail passes through national park, state forest, private property, Council parks and road reserves. Noosa Shire, QPWS and local MTB clubs have established an innovative partnership to support trail maintenance a local government providing funding to a community group to maintain a sport and recreation asset on State Government owned and managed land. Noosa Council has recognised the trails as not only a community asset but also a tourism asset which generates an economic return to the region. Noosa Council provided funding to the Noosa Trailblazers for trail maintenance on the MTB trails in Woorori/Tewantin National Park. The funding enabled the club to engage a professional contractor to do the 'heavy' maintenance work, realigned trails etc with the bulk of the maintenance resourced through club volunteers etc.
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APPENDIX C: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Department of Environment and Science - John Carter, Troy Spinks, Henry Waterman MTB Management Issues at the Nerang National Park • No strategy currently in place for National Parks estate as a whole re MTB management • QPWS are currently conducting an audit of Nerang’s trails to prioritise trail maintenance resources • QPWS has a 4 zone prioritisation zones at Nerang with MTB prioritised to the greatest extent in zone 1 (covers the majority of trails including the GC2018 loops) • Recognition that new trails can be considered but priority is on management of the existing trails • While the Nerang National Park is designated for conservation purposes, zone 1 is seen as being of lesser conservation/biodiversity priority • Growing pressure for a greater number of formal events seen as a management issues – intensity of use, volume of visitors on site etc • Recognition that MTB demand is likely to continue growing with resulting management and maintenance challenges • Some concern about growing MTB pressure (unofficial trails and formal trail extension request) in outer parts of the Park (zones 3 and 4) • Access point at Gold Coast Cycle Centre not seen as ideal • See e-bikes as a potential gamechanger for access – opening up a range of trails to varying fitness levels • QPWS have a finite commitment to the GC2018 tracks - no resources in budget at present, after the current commitment • See fire trails as potentially offering extra potential for trail network, but acknowledged that MTB riders rate these trails as too rough
Management Options Regarding the potential to work more closely with City in managing the Nerang National Parks Trails, a number of management options were identified:
Land Swap • The most complete solution – the City will have asset control • By definition, City would be taking formal responsibility • The option is dependent on having appropriate land to swap – ideally from QPWS’s perspective, it would be land that’s contiguous with the current Parks estate • The obvious land area to swap is what is defined as zone 1 at Nerang (bulk of trails) • A management agreement would need to accompany the land swap -specifying joint working arrangements, QPWS commitment to maintenance and investment in the other parts of Nerang National Park 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 978 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
• Guidance suggests that QPWS looks for land swaps on a 1:5 basis, however there is understood to be flexibility in this regard • A minimum 12 month period would be required to establish this mechanism.
Conservation Park Trusteeship • The Nature Conservation Act provides for the option of a Conservation Park Trusteeship as a management option – context would be provided by a Conservation Park Maintenance Environmental Management Plan • Bayview in Redlands is partially via this relationship (although it is understood that this does not cover the area Bayview where mountain biking takes place) • Provides surety of tenure for the City and clarity for management purposes • A minimum 12 month period would be required to establish this mechanism • A management agreement would need to accompany the trusteeship -specifying joint working arrangements, QPWS commitment to maintenance and investment in the other parts of Nerang National Park
Lease • The Nature Conservation Act provides for the option of leasing. Smithfield in Cairns has this arrangement • Would necessitate new investment from the City, but no ownership/control of assets
Collaborative Agreement • A formal contractual relationship that could provide for activities such as o Collaborative funding/resourcing of trail development/maintenance, management o Collaboration on marketing o Co-management • No ownership of asset • A net additional cost for the City in contributing to maintenance
Department of Transport and Main Roads/ DTITID, Sarah Wilkinson, Principal Planner (Cycling and Programs) • Cross-government activity (all forms of cycling) is guided by the Queensland Cycling Strategy https://blog.tmr.qld.gov.au/cycling/ • The department currently has a consumer survey in market (very similar to our online survey) which is intended as foundation research to inform a new two-year action plan. The intention is that this will inform community and economic-related activities • A high level summary of the research will be available early 2019 with an action plan likely to be published in mid 2019
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Mountain Biking Australia, Denise Cox, Shane Coppin
Opportunities/USPs • Biggest market opportunity seen as capitalising on Gold Coast’s large leisure market and growing mountain biking as a subsidiary activity/reason for visit • All-terrain bikes are where the biggest growth opportunity sites • Gold Coast differs to the other mountain biking hubs/trail towns - most are relatively remote and don’t have the advantage of large visitor numbers/mature leisure tourism economy. The region should play to this opportunity • Winter offers a great competitive advantage when southern states’ trails are closed or unwelcoming • Relative proximity of trails to the airport/point of arrival • Although MTBrs do not all follow contiguous trails, the opportunity to promote the range of MTB experiences in the wider SEQ region has potential (Brisbane, Logan, Redlands, Ipswich etc) • Accessibility/inclusiveness agenda via e-bikes offers good opportunities
Priorities for Investment and development • Creating an improved sense of welcome at the Nerang National Park and Gold Coast Cycling Centre is essential - make it easy for visitors. • Priority for MTBA is achieving action quickly • If the City’s ambition is based around leisure cyclists and holiday trips where MTB is a secondary activity, Nerang needs investment in beginner level facilities and trails • Ideally, 50km+ of trails are required – further depth and range of trails is required, but focus should initially be on improving what we’ve got • The reality is that Gold Coast isn’t a world class MTB destination at present – rather than a marketing focus, the initial priority should be in build trail and related infrastructure • For destinations that are anticipating attracting visitors who bring their own bikes, airport readiness is a consideration (car hire suitable for bicycles is an issue) • From a business development/ partnership perspective, MTB-friendly accommodation should also be a future consideration
Status of Gold Coast as a MTB Destination
Gold Coast has the potential become a trail town (a large one at that) but cannot describe itself as a trail town at present. The definition of a trail town is ‘A population centre that offers a large range of high quality trails, trail user related services, facilities, trail related businesses, strong branding and supportive governance. And should have at least one cohesive trail network offering multiple classifications and trail types’ 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 980 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
At present:
• Gold Coast lacks the required number of trails to be called a trail town. A trail town requires a trail network of national significance which is >80km of singletrack in one trail network. The region has the population to support a trail network of national significance and the tourism pull, however Nerang has the most extensive trail network at 19km of sanctioned singletrack. • Until Nerang (or another trail network) has over 80km of sanctioned singletrack, describing Gold Coast as a trail town would be unlikely to meet market expectations – promoting it as such, would lead to unfavourable comparisons with other leading Australian destinations • Gold Coast has the population centre based user services but it lacks the site based user services (eg. limited toilets, signage lacking, no defined trailhead, no bike wash, no seating/gathering point). • The Gold Coast has predominately XC trails, with NV Gravity Park and Boomerang providing gravity and DH trails – greater diversity may be required • Gold Coast currently lacks the trail network of national significance to hang its hat on. This should be Nerang for the following reasons: there are 19km of sanctioned singletrack there already and many more trails that can be sanctioned; planning is already underway to sanction more trails, close some and build some more. The smaller networks, Hinze Dam, NV Gravity Park, Boomerang Farm (both these are only open in club ride days or specific days at this stage) Old Tambo provide the supporting trail networks.
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Noosa Shire Council, Alison Hamblin Community Development Manager/ Noosa Trailblazers MTB Club Council has an effective working relationship with QPWS, which is based on good officer-level working relationships and co-operation rather than a formal arrangement. Council has not actively considered tools as such as land lease agreements or trusteeship Noosa Council provided funding to the Noosa Trailblazers for trail maintenance on the MTB trails in Woorori/Tewantin National Park, via a community grant – a grant of $10k which was required to be matched by the grant recipient. The funding enabled the club to engage a professional contractor to do the 'heavy' maintenance work, trail realignment etc. This was the first grant for operational work which the mountain biking club received from Council. Two working relationships were in place in delivering this program; • A contractual relationship between Council and the MTB club in defraying the grant • A working relationship between QPWS and the MTB Club in managing/delivering the trail care. To date, this relationship has been on an informal basis, however QPWS has recently prepared a formal collaborative agreement
How did it happen? • MTB activity was an eligible activity in Council’s Community Grant program – in part, informed by evidence of mountain biking being a popular local recreation activity (Council’s active recreation strategy)
The Future • The MTB Club are undertaking the work in a strategic manner, with work prioritised in a trail audit. A hope for the future from the MTB Club’s perspective is that the relationship with Council could evolve from a one-off grant to ongoing support for a prioritised program of trail care • QPWS’s Collaborative Agreement presents some challenges from MTB Clubs’ perspectives in that they feel there is a risk of too many obligations being passed on to them for trail care when overall usage is outside their control (usage on trails is not only by club members) • MTB Clubs understand the challenges of land managers having to deal with a large number of individual clubs. An initiative to form a single trail care alliance group in the Sunshine Coast region was tried – providing one agency for landowners and managers to work with. However, in practical terms the arrangement was not without challenges in that the diversity of clubs and priorities made it difficult to have a single representative body where consensus on priorities was easily reached
Noosa is perceived as working well - while the trail care partnership with Trailblazers is an innovative solution, much of the success can be put down to effective Council-QPWS officer relationships. Council have not actively considered a more formal relationship (Trusteeship etc). QPWS’s movement towards formal collaborative agreements with MTB clubs is causing some push back from clubs - extent of liability if an issue 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 982 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
Redlands Council, Leo Newlands, Policy and Strategy Officer Management • Council does have Trusteeship on Conservation Park at Bayview as part of its management arrangements, but this does not cover the MTB assets • The KBCCA (koala bushland conservation area) did provide a formal mechanism for co-operation for mountain biking across a range of tenures however this has lapsed as an active partnership - could be an opportunity to use this as an umbrella for future co-ordination • MTB network is of growing importance as a community and economic activity - Council is working with Logan CC and QPWS across a series of parks and reserves from Bayview to Daisy Hill • Council has effective working relationships with QPWS and Logan, co-ordinating maintenance, fire maintenance, and recently – co-ordinating consistency in trail maintenance standards, signposting and information, and application of single/multi use trails • Good working relationship with local MTB groups on Trailcare. Some funding via community grants (one-off grants)
General • Already working with Logan in co-ordinating and managing reserves, and potentially in marketing - opportunity to co-ordinate with Gold Coast also has potential • Bayview and surrounding reserves, offer potential to package/ promote with a larger SEQ region. Logan Council, Paul Massingham, Tourism Marketing & Business Development Officer • Council see mountain biking as part of recreation/tourism development (new tourism strategy) • https://www.cyclelifehq.com/en/destinations/australia/queensland Council is buying into this program as a marketing opportunity • Have conducted some research to help make the case for investment https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/394685/CyclingMountai n-Bike.pdf • Council is working closely with Redlands on co-ordinating trail management in reserves/parks with share boundaries • Council is interested in collaborative marketing opportunities with surrounding regions. Brisbane City Council, Susan Dymock, Senior Program Officer, Bushland Acquisition • Council has plans to prepare a new cycling strategy in early 2019 • Recognition that there is a general absence of trails in Brisbane apart from Mt Coot- tha 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 983 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
• Current work in the Oxley Creek corridor has potential – possibility of new trail hub, criterium track • No tangible good practice on management/partnerships – Council is landowner with most of the official trail network in city boundaries.
Ipswich City Council, Ben Thomas | Nature-Based Recreation Officer Works, Parks and Recreation Department • Council is currently beginning the process of preparing a MTB strategy – due for publication by the end of financial year • Council recognition that there will be significant community demand growth in the coming years (population growth) • Hidden Vale is an important tourism asset, and Council is keen that MTB trails are promoted to tourism markets, however the focus is on community oriented provision • Most trails in Ipswich are on Council land so no issues with QPWS – the Council does have some Trusteeship arrangements with QPWS however only for small patches of land (don’t cover MTB trails at present) • Council has recently invested in a new trail network at Kholo Gardens https://www.ipswichfirst.com.au/new-trail-network-unlocks-scenic-ipswich/ • Council is interested in co-operating with fellow SEQ Councils on promoting MTB assets to tourism audiences - Hidden Vale is a leading facility and Council’s Castle Hill trails may be useful in that the sit in a free draining site which is usually accessible when other trails are closed • A new native title claim in the Ipswich region is creating some challenges for progressing new trail development opportunities
Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Rosie Douglas, General Manager • Cairns’ success is running previous UCI world cup events and the infrastructure that went into running them was instrumental in providing the legacy opportunity for recreational mountain biking • Smithfield operates on a lease arrangement with Queensland Government - live discussions between Atherton Tablelands Council and QPWS are ongoing. o TTNQ is a very large region with diverse assets. No clear single strategy to management • TTNQ work on MTB has been on the basis of a framework provided by a recreational riding marketing plan - some resources have been attracted from Red Bull as well as TEQ. The Ride Cairns website http://www.ridecairns.com/ is part of this overall marketing approach.
Ride Cairns • 2013/14 launch • Initially focused on an App-driven approach but wasn’t effective • Acknowledged that development and operation has involved some trial and error 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 984 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
• Activity is based around PR, co-operative marketing and hosting familiarisation visitor for journalists • Recently the website has been self-sustaining, but it has a been a tough ask to generate income for co-operative marketing. It is increasingly hard to get buy-in. There are other platforms that provide similar information • Likely that the standalone website will cease this year with content being placed on dedicated pages of the TTNQ consumer website
Tourism Challenges • There is general feeling that the region has achieved cut through, but it is difficult to measure the impact accurately • MTB struggles for exposure in TNQ as a tourism experience - recognised as a subsidiary activity, not a lead
Destination Gold Coast, Jason Thomas, Director - Destination & Corporate Partnerships • The extent to which MTB would be profiled as a tourism activity will need to evidence- driven • ATDW listings for MTB assets is a good start - monitoring data from website will provide a means of assessing interest • At present, MTB would be likely positioned a subsidiary activity – unless there is a stand out asset/ our compelling reason to visit • Gold Coast stands out well in SEQ terms, but at present, we are not in the world-class bracket • Some potential opportunities to look at MTB assets on a SEQ-basis – combined, the range and appeal of MTB options across the wider region may present opportunities. 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 985 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT ITEM 13 GENERAL BUSINESS PALM BEACH ‘PLACE ANALYSIS’ PD113/81/13
Committee Recommendation Changed At Council Meeting 20 September 2019
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION EPE19.0918.013 moved Cr Owen-Jones seconded Cr PJ Young That the Palm Beach ‘Place Analysis: A Conversation with Palm Beach’, prepared by Cardno dated 20 April 2017 be made non-confidential. CARRIED
CHANGED AT COUNCIL 20 September 2019 RESOLUTION G19.0920.036 moved Cr McDonald seconded Cr PJ Young That Committee Recommendation EPE19.0918.013 be adopted with a change such that it reads in its entirety as follows:- That the Palm Beach ‘Place Analysis: A Conversation with Palm Beach’, prepared by Cardno dated 20 April 2017 be made non-confidential with the exception of pages 38, 39, 50 and 51 which are to remain confidential.
CARRIED
There being no further business the meeting was declared closed at 1.07pm 779th Council Meeting 20 September 2019 986 Economy, Planning & Environment Committee Meeting 18 September 2019 ADOPTED REPORT
These Pages
Numbered 1 to 986
Constitute The Adopted Report Of The Meeting
Of The Economy, Planning and Environment Committee
Held Wednesday, 18 September 2019