MMuurrrraayyllaannddss RRiivveerr TTrraaiill FFeeaassiibbiilliittyy SSttuuddyy March 2015 Prepared For: Coorong District Council Mid Murray Council Rural City of Murray Bridge Prepared by: One Eighty SLS George House 207 The Parade Norwood SA 5067 Contact: Brett Hill t: 08 8431 6180 f: 08 8431 8180 m: 0414 658 904 e: [email protected] in association in Murraylands River Trail Feasibility Study CONTENTS PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................. 1 SECTION SEVEN: FEEDBACK ON TRAIL & INITIAL ALIGNMENT ............. 22 7.1 Community Survey 22 SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ........................... 6 7.2 Horse SA Survey 24 1.1 Scope of the Project 6 7.3 Aboriginal Organisations Consultations 25 1.2 Murraylands Regional Overview 6 SECTION EIGHT: TRAIL STAGING & COSTS ............................................ 26 1.2.1 Mid Murray Council 7 1.2.2 The Rural City of Murray Bridge 7 8.1 Proposed Trail Development Sections & Stages 26 1.2.3 Coorong District Council 7 8.2 High Level Construction Cost Estimates 27 8.3 Initial Trail Section Designs & Costs 27 SECTION TWO: UNDERSTANDING RECREATIONAL TRAILS .................... 8 8.3.1 Mid Murray Council Section 28 2.1 A Definition of Recreational Trails 8 8.3.2 Rural City of Murray Bridge Section 29 2.2 Benefits of Recreational Trails 8 8.3.3 Coorong District Council Section 30 2.3 Tourism and Recreational Trails 8 SECTION NINE: TRAIL INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................ 31 2.4 Demand for Recreational Trails 9 2.5 Recreation Trail Users 9 9.1 Signage 31 2.6 Types of Recreation Trails 10 9.1.1 Trail Related Signage 31 2.7 Murraylands River Trail Guiding Principles 10 9.1.2 Tourism Related Signage 32 9.2 Other Trail Infrastructure 32 SECTION THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................... 11 SECTION TEN: TRAIL MAINTENANCE & STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ..... 33 SECTION FOUR: TRENDS ....................................................................... 14 10.1 Trail Maintenance 33 SECTION FIVE: STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ................................. 15 10.2 Strategic and Operational Trail Plans 33 10.2.1 Infrastructure Management Plan 33 5.1 Community Engagement Plan 15 10.2.2 Management Plan 34 5.2 Overview of Initial Consultations 15 10.2.3 Marketing and Promotions Plan 34 5.3 Summary of Initial Consultations 16 10.2.4 Risk Management Plan 34 SECTION SIX: TRAIL ALIGNMENT ........................................................... 17 10.3 Approvals 35 6.1 Initial Trail Alignment 17 10.4 Trail Management Models 35 6.2 Amended Trail Alignment 18 10.4.1 Proposed Model of Management 36 6.2.1 Cadell to Woodlane Reserve - Mid Murray Section 19 10.5 Funding Opportunities 37 6.2.2 Woodlane Reserve to Wellington - Murray Bridge Section 20 6.2.3 Tailem Bend to Salt Creek - Coorong Section 21 One Eighty Sport and Leisure Solutions Page | iii Murraylands River Trail Feasibility Study APPENDICES .......................................................................................... 39 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Murraylands Region 6 Appendix A: Recreational Trail Characteristics 40 Appendix B: Trail Maps Reviewed 41 Figure 2: Mid Murray Council Boundary 7 Appendix C: Stakeholder Consultations 42 Figure 3: Rural City of Murray Bridge Boundary 7 Appendix D: DEWNR Irrigation Sites 46 Figure 4: Coorong District Council Boundary 7 Appendix E: Trail Links, Loops & Destination Points 49 Figure 5: ERASS 2010 Top Ten Physical Activities 9 Appendix F: Amended Trail Alignment - Local Sketch Maps 50 Figure 6: Initial Trail Alignment – Regional Sections 17 Appendix H: Trail Construction Cost Estimates - Council Sections 61 Figure 7: Amended Trail Alignment – Regional Sections 18 Appendix I: Images of Existing Surface Types 62 Figure 8: Amended Trail Alignment – Mid Murray Section 19 Appendix J: Initial Trail Section Design Sketch Maps 63 Figure 9: Amended Trail Alignment – Murray Bridge Section 20 Appendix K: Australian Standards - Walking Tracks 83 Figure 10: Amended Trail Alignment – Lakes and Coorong Section 21 Appendix L: Riesling Trail Signage: Preliminary Design Concepts 93 Figure 11: Initial Stage – Mid Murray: East Front Road 28 Appendix M: State Government Licence Agreement 98 Figure 12: Sketch Map – Mid Murray: East Front Road 28 Figure 13: Initial Stage – Murray Bridge: Toora to Hume Reserve 29 LIST OF TABLES Figure 14: Sketch Map – Murray Bridge: Toora to Hume Reserve 29 Table 1: Population Overview of Council Regions 6 Figure 15: Initial Stage – Coorong: Meningie to Coorong 30 Table 2: Trail Categories & Characteristics 10 Figure 16: Sketch Map – Coorong: Meningie to Coorong 30 Table 3: Community Engagement Plan 15 Figure 17: SA Water – Toora Section 45 Table 4: Summary of Issues Raised During Consultations 16 Figure 18: SA Water – Mobilong Section 45 Table 5: Trail Users and Requirements 16 Table 6: Proposed Trail Staging – Rural City of Murray Bridge 26 Table 7: Proposed Trail Staging – Mid Murray Council 26 Table 8: Proposed Trail Staging – Coorong District Council 27 Table 9: Overall Trail Construction Cost Estimate 27 Table 10: Mid Murray - Construction Cost Estimate 28 Table 11: Murray Bridge - Construction Cost Estimate 29 Table 12: Coorong - Construction Cost Estimate 30 Table 13: Estimated Trail Maintenance Costs 33 Table 14: Recreation Trail Infrastructure Management Plan 33 One Eighty Sport and Leisure Solutions Page | iv Murraylands River Trail Feasibility Study ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following people represented their respective organisations and provided feedback and guidance for the preparation of the Murraylands River Trail Feasibility Study. Coorong District Council Nat Traeger – Director Community & Corporate Services Bianca Gazzola - Acting OPAL Project Manager Sheridan O’Brien - OPAL Project Manager Lavender Federation Trail Working Group - (SA Recreation Trails Inc.) Graham Hallandal Bob England Barry Stacey Mid Murray Council Shane Thompson - Director, Community Services Courtney Blacker - OPAL Project Manager Murraylands Tourism Partnership – Regional Development Australia Candace Torres – Tourism Development Manager Office for Recreation and Sport Anthea Shem – Senior Project Officer, Planning Thomas Rossini – Project Officer, Planning Rural City of Murray Bridge Kevin Heyndyk – Team Leader Youth, Sport and Recreation Kieron Barnes – Manager Planning Kylie Tekell – OPAL Project Manager Melissa Priest – OPAL Project Officer One Eighty Sport and Leisure Solutions Page | iii Murraylands River Trail Feasibility Study EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Benefits of Recreational Trails Recreational trails offer a diverse range of benefits as summarised below. The Murraylands River Trail Feasibility Study is a collaborative project between the Mid Murray Council, Rural City of Murray Bridge, Coorong District Council and the Obesity Social & Community Prevention and Lifestyle Program (OPAL), a joint State and Local Government funded . Engendering a greater sense of community via community interaction and nurturing a initiative. It provides a vision for a 450 kilometre walking and bike riding trail along the sense of neighbourhood pride and ownership Murray River, linking Cadell in the Murraylands to Salt Creek in the Coorong. Present the community with a controlled and safe environment in which the inexperienced and disabled feel comfortable to be physically active within Scope and Aim of the Project . Walking and cycling are self sufficient, affordable and sustainable transport methods The aim of this project is to analyse and provide detailed recommendations on the most . Generate a more pleasurable environment to live in effective routes along which to develop a regional trail that tracks along the waters of the . Enable pet owners to exercise their animals River Murray, Lakes and Coorong as closely as is practicable. Health and Well Being The partnering councils identified that the trail should have a whole-of-community focus In acknowledging that physical activity in most forms and situations is a positive influence accessible to young families, children and the elderly. As well it needs to provide for on our health and well being, the benefits directly relating to this aspect include: special interest groups, cycling enthusiasts and tourists. The trail should be diverse and . Improved health, fitness, wellbeing and disease prevention (e.g. illnesses associated provide short and long sections that offer opportunities for people of various ages and with obesity including diabetes and depression) abilities, with families being a specific focus group around townships. To satisfy this . Fit and healthy people are generally less of a burden on the health care system requirement in part, existing and potential looping trails have been identified to provide diversity in distance, activity in themselves and access to key attractions and destinations. Transport The Feasibility Report provides: . Walking and cycling reduce attrition of roads in comparison to motor vehicle use . A summary of consultations undertaken to prepare the study . Reduces running costs for car owners . Consideration of current trends and the potential benefits of trails . Reduces motor vehicle congestion . Trail infrastructure requirements including signage and way finding infrastructure . Provides a more efficient use of land in comparison to other forms of transport . A high level concept depicting the general alignment of the trail along the river . Proposed sections for development and staging options