$737,000 upgrade for walk

22 January 2010

BY ANGELA MCFEETERS

THE Great South West Walk has received a $737,000 boost from the State Government, Pacific Hydro and its friends group to upgrade tracks and facilities.

Announcing the funding along the walk near the Cape Nelson light station on Tuesday, Regional and Rural Development Minister Jacinta Allan said the State Government’s Provincial Pathways fund would contribute $320,000, Parks Victoria $336,000, Pacific Hydro $72,000 and Friends of the Great South West Walk (FoGSWW) $8000 towards the improvements.

Ms Allan said more and more people were seeking out walks like the 252km loop track to experience Victoria’s diverse natural beauty, and walk safety and good amenities were in high demand.

She praised the firm commitment of the FoGSWW, which contributed countless hours to improving the track that it established, as well as the making a funding commitment to the latest program.

FoGSWW president Rob Bartlett said the 27-year-old track had become known as one of the most spectacular walks in Australia, “if not the world,” but “over these past few years we have been slowly falling short of community expectations with regard to our walker campsite facilities”.

He proposed improvements to facilities, and described the money as able to provide “major upgrades to infrastructure”.

“I am looking forward to seeing the glee on people’s faces when they see the new facilities,” he said, adding that the funding would also bring a morale boost to the group’s volunteers.

“We won’t let your confidence down.”

Parks Victoria will manage the spending of the funds, and regional manager Rod Newnham said the area had been described to him as “wonderful,” and “where God was born”; something he ascribed to.

“The vision of the friends’ group is slowly being realised. The walk’s value to tourism is also becoming recognised. It brings more and more opportunities for support services and accommodation-providers, and also has a lot of flow-on benefits for other businesses,” he said.

Parks Victoria Glenelg area ranger in charge, Don Tumney, said two popular areas would benefit under the new program: the cape area along the track’s southern-most portion, just west of Portland, and the Cobboboonee area.

Coastal improvements

The 44-kilometre track between Bridgewater Lakes and Yellow Rock would be improved with some additional steps and the replacement of existing ones, better safety fencing and surfacing in some areas, and the improvement of signage.

The car parks at the popular Blowholes precinct and the Enchanted Forest would also be improved, although the Enchanted Forest car park works would be flattened further, removing trip hazards by covering or removing tree roots rather than sealing the area, Mr Tumney said.

Toilets and signage at the Blowholes area, Trewella Camp and perhaps another campsite would also be upgraded, replacing pit toilets to make use of better environmental technology.

A prototype of the proposed Mallee and Trewalla toilets had recently been built at the nearby Springs Camp, and the Blowholes would receive more toilets because of the area’s popularity Mr Tumney said.

Mr Tumney said the Mallee Camp, just north of the Cape Nelson lighthouse, would also be relocated about 1500 metres away, providing newer facilities for campers, following feedback from walkers that new Pacific Hydro wind turbines operating nearby were noisy, and made it difficult to sleep.

Pacific Hydro had volunteered to pay for the move, although they weren’t obliged to do so under their permit conditions. However, Pacific Hydro spokesperson Emily Wood said they were keen to ensure the wind farm didn’t impact on tourism.

Mr Tumney said the new walkers-only campsite was expected to be south of its current position and alongside a former road.

Cobboboonee upgrades

Most funding from the Cobboboonee improvements would be spent on replacing toilets, shelters and facilities such as fireplaces at the Cobboboonee National and Forest Park’s four campsites, Fitzroy, Cobboboonee, Cut-Out and Cubby’s, Mr Tumney said.

A significant footbridge over the Fitzroy River, 400 metres north of Fitzroy Camp, would be replaced, and some sections of the track in the Cobboboonee area would also be improved.

Ms Allan said four jobs would be created during construction and two ongoing management positions would be filled as a result of the funding announcement.

However, Mr Tumney could not confirm exactly how the positions would be structured and how long the works would take to complete.

He said he would be surprised if the FoGSWW, who did three days of work a week along the track in groups, did not also do some of the improvement work themselves.

“The south-west is one of the state’s truly iconic tourist destinations and this upgrade will ensure visitors continue to flock to the region to enjoy its natural beauty,” Ms Allan said.