Council welcomes the Victorian Government announcement of the appointment of Velosolutions Australia as contractor to design and construct a new skills park at Forrest's Southern Trailhead, as part of Stage One of the Forrest Mountain Bike Revitalisation Project.
"The skills park was part of the Forrest community's vision for this site and we have worked closely with the community, including the Forrest Mountain Bike Club, as well as Forest Fire Management Victoria, Barwon Water and Parks Victoria for the past decade to see this project come to fruition," said Colac Otway Shire Council Mayor, Cr Kate Hanson. "We're thrilled to see this work begin and acknowledge the collaborative communication between the community and agency partners that has made it possible."
The skills park will include three new exciting elements, which will be installed at the Southern Trail head, including:
- A large asphalt pump track
- Two jumps lines catering for both advanced and novice riders
- A set of skills courses with three levels of difficulty
"The skills park will enable mountain bike riders to safely learn and progress their abilities, as well as offering fun sections for skaters and scooter riders too," said Mayor Hanson. "The revitalised precinct will also create better linkage to the upgraded trails, which are being structured and designed to improve mountain bike rider skill sets and experiences."
Velosolutions Australia is part of Velosolutions Global, which has built more than 250 pump tracks around the world and is renowned for its innovation and experience.
"Contracting Velosolutions is exciting for everyone involved, especially the Forrest community," said Mayor Hanson. "The project is ideally timed to assist local businesses recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and, when finished, this facility will be a popular stop for visitors to our beautiful region."
These facilities boost the opportunities for our community to participate in recreational activities and align to Council's Revitalisation Project, which aims to enhance the mountain bike and recreational offering, while future proofing Forrest and Colac Otway's economy.
Forest Fire Management Victoria and Colac Otway Shire Council are delivering Stage One works throughout 2022 with funding of $250,000 from Colac Otway Shire Council and $2.07 million from the Victorian Government through DELWP and Regional Development Victoria.
