Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman has outlined the way forward for trails in Western Australia, with the release of the WA Strategic Trails Blueprint 2022-2027 (the Blueprint).
The Blueprint will guide the planning, development, and management of quality trails and trail experiences across the State, with an increased focus on ensuring they are inclusive and accessible.
It will also promote a shift in the trails industry towards deepening trail users’ connection to country, community, and culture – while ensuring ongoing economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
In the past three years the McGowan Government has invested heavily in trails which create jobs and boost regional economies in the State’s South-West – in communities such as Collie and Dwellingup – including the $10 million Collie Adventure Trails initiative.
The Blueprint was funded by the McGowan Government through the Departments of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and Biodiversity, and Conservation and Attractions.
Its development involved collaboration between:
- local and State Government;
- First Nations-led not-for-profit Common Ground;
- representatives from the Western Australian Local Government Association;
- Trails WA; and
- the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council.
The Blueprint will be launched today at the 2022 WA Trails Forum, featuring guest speaker Galeo Saintz – the founding Chair of the World Trails Network – which champions the international trails industry and promotes the world’s leading trails and trail destinations.
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As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
“Trails have been an important feature of the Western Australian landscape for more than 60,000 years, with some of our most-loved trails following traditional pathways through country that have been used by Aboriginal people for generations.
“We now have a clear direction for the next five years to ensure that the future of trails in WA honours a deeper connection to country, community, and culture.
“Coupled with this, we know that trails in all their forms provide a valuable outlet for exercise, play, challenge, recreation, and adventure – offering enormous mental and physical health benefits to our society.
“The McGowan Government’s investment in trails over the past few years has developed hundreds of kilometres of hiking and mountain bike trails, which has helped people remain active and healthy throughout the pandemic.”
