Council has endorsed its ten year Paths and Trails Plan, following engagement with the community earlier this year.
The Paths and Trails Plan 2025-2035 maps out local shared trails and walking trails, clarifies levels of service for construction and maintenance standards, identifies action areas for the future, priorities projects for upgrades, new and improved crossings and addresses missing trail links.
Community members provided feedback on the draft document between late-June and early-August, with ideas and comments incorporated into the plan. Councillors voted to endorse the plan at their meeting on Tuesday, 14 October.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Jim Child, said the plan would give Council a roadmap for managing its extensive network of paths and trails.
"There are hundreds of kilometres of paths and trails through the Yarra Ranges – connecting people with businesses, open space, playspaces and the wider community," he said.
"This plan gives us a roadmap on how we're going to manage and, crucially, improve that network, to connect existing trails for the benefit of locals and visitors alike.
"We're grateful for the considered feedback we received from the community on the draft. As a result, we've incorporated a number of road crossings into our future plans, along with better trail alignments.
"Community feedback is crucial for plans such as these, and we're confident that the actions in this plan will create a better, more connected Yarra Ranges when the projects are completed in 2035."
Council will seek grant opportunities and investigate funding through its annual budget, as the plan is currently unfunded. The actions in the plan are estimated to cost $55 million over ten years.
