The bicycle path between Blackheath and the Explorers Tree in Katoomba was officially opened last week, marking a start to the planned Great Blue Mountains Trail which will eventually traverse the entire Mountains.
Macquarie MP Louise Markus and Clr Don McGregor cut the ribbon on the 13.2-kilometre stretch beside the railway line in the Upper Mountains, congratulating each other on a collaborative effort.
The federal government contributed $500,000 to the project and council spent $60,000 as well as providing staff to construct the track and to supervise several work for the dole participants who also worked on it.
Clr McGregor said: "The trail is a wonderful example of governments working together to boost tourism and economic development in the Blue Mountains region, as well as improve recreational and transport opportunities for local residents.
"This is the first step to realising a big idea - to develop an iconic, regional trail from east to west across the Blue Mountains ridgeline, accessible from all towns, villages and train stations along the way," he said.
Council workers will next head to Leura for a section between the Mall and Leura Cascades, to be funded by a $150,000 state government grant through its metropolitan greenspace program.
One of the happy cyclists at the opening, Brian Stevens, said he was pleased at the new section but urged council to act now to reserve other bits of land which can in future be used to extend the trail.
"There are easy, cheap bits," he said, including the old highway through Digger Cooper Reserve at Leura, Loftus St Lawson and at Woodford between Bridge Lane and Tollgate Drive.
Other sections are "harder and more expensive", Mr Stevens said.
These include between Mt Victoria and Blackheath, where a bike track that already exists has to be fenced off from the railway line; the stretch between Faulconbridge and Todarellos, which Mr Stevens calls "one of the more dangerous sections for bikes", the section between Wentworth Falls and Bullaburra where a path could run next to Railway Parade, and at Linden, where the footpath could be widened to make it a shared path.
"Council might be heavily in debt but it still has the ability to plan and to put pressure on the RMS and NSW Government," he said.
Mr Stevens, who has written a book on cycling across the Mountains off the highway*, congratulated council on the newly opened path. "It is not perfect but is a hell of a lot better than riding on that dangerous section of highway".
Clr McGregor said the trail will complement council's continued efforts to develop first class nature based experiences, such as the $700,000 worth of renewal works on the Prince Henry Cliff Top Walk at Leura, and at Katoomba Cascades.
"Together, these experiences showcase our World Heritage listed bushland, spectacular scenery and character-filled villages. They also contribute to the health and well-being of our community."
* Cycling across the Blue Mountains without using the highway (the new edition extends to Lithgow) is available from all good bookshops in the Mountains and Penrith, from Panther Cycles in Penrith, Wheeler Cycles in Bathurst and Trek and Travel in Kent St, Sydney. Or contact barney.stevens@westnet.com.au.
