MEDIA RELEASE
EDEN MOUNTAIN BIKE PROJECT ON THE RIGHT TRAIL
4 May 2022
Contour Works has been appointed to construct Stage 1 of the Eden Mountain Bike Hub project with construction due to commence in May.
Eden Community Access Centre’s (ECAC) Julian Webb said ECAC and the Eden Trails Group, comprising members of the Eden Mountain Bike Club, were excited about having reached such a significant milestone in a project set to make a critical contribution to the area’s social and economic development and resilience.
“This multi-million-dollar project will establish Eden and the broader NSW south coast area as a true mountain biking destination, providing opportunities to attract tourists and investment to the region.
“The hub will also be an important community asset, contributing to employment opportunities and positive health and wellbeing outcomes.
Eden Mountain Bike Club President, Stan Soroka said he was thrilled the trail network, which includes 56km of new trails in the Nullica State Forest, would be constructed by Contour Works.
“The project will deliver 20 trails, utilising over 300 metres of elevation and provide unique experiences for riders.
“I know the mountain biking community is going to be excited to come and ride here.
“Contour Works brings the experience of constructing such projects as the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park and Rude Rock mountain bike trail in Queenstown, New Zealand.”
“Our town and community will benefit not only from having an amazing place to ride but also from the jobs it will generate, the recreational opportunities it will offer and the tourism dollars’ mountain biking brings to an area.”
“Our partnership with the NSW Forestry Corporation has been amazing and we could not have reached this critical milestone without their belief and support.”
Evan Winton, Contour Works Director and Site Manager said his team was excited to partner with ECAC and the Eden Mountain Bike Club to construct Australia’s latest coastal riding destination.
“We look forward to getting on the ground in coming weeks to begin creating a unique coastal mountain bike destination. The terrain and location has all of the key elements to ensure Eden is well situated to become a must ride destination.”
President of the Eden Chamber of Commerce, Eric Wolske said he welcomed the development, and the Chamber fully supported the mountain bike hub initiative.
“Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing recreational activities globally and experience in other locations indicates that the benefits of a quality trail network flow through to local businesses and the economy.
“Importantly the hub will help transform our tourism profile from a seasonal one to one that will flourish year-round.”
Julian Webb said following confirmation ECAC and the Eden Trails Group had been awarded the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery funding, the groups had been working with Natural Trails and Blue Sky Trails as client-side project managers to establish project governance arrangements, manage the tender process, provide on-ground superintendent duties, and to ensure the club complied with the requirements of the funding deed.
“We have invested significant time and energy to get the project to this stage and believe this collaboration with project managers experienced in trail building projects will ensure we get the trails we want, drive value-for-money outcomes, and ensure the project ticks all the boxes for grant funding requirements.”
The project is funded by the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF) which is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the New South Wales Government under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Direct Media enquiries and comments to
Eden Community Access Centre Inc
Email MTBproject@eden.nsw.au
