"Its Official Mt George Mountain Bike Trail is Open"
02 Oct 2021
2 October 2021
MEDIA RELEASE
George Town gears up for weekend opening of Mt George Mountain Bike Trails
Mountain biking has just got a whole lot easier for locals and visitors to the Launceston Tamar Valley region with the opening of the first stage of the George Town Mountain Bike Trails at Mt George this weekend.
The George Town Council is using this weekend’s “Sneak Peek” community event to invite the George Town municipal residences and Bell Bay Aluminium employees to ride the trails on Saturday before opening to the general public on Sunday.
Ranging from green, blue and black the 15.5km of trails on the flanks of Mt George, just a few minutes from the centre of George Town, feature flowy climbs, gnarly descents, rad berms and plenty of airtime! One of many highlights on the trails are the stunning and expansive views from the craggy lookout, dubbed Bell Bay View, that showcases views over George Town to Bass Strait, from the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone to the rolling hills of the West Tamar.
The George Town Mountain Bike Trails is the outcome of a partnership between the George Town Council, the Australian Government and Bell Bay Aluminium, part of the Rio Tinto Group.
In 2019, the George Town Council successfully secured $4.4 million for the project from the Australian Government’s Community Development Programme which is designed to support needed infrastructure and promote stable, secure and viable local and regional economies.
Federal Member for Bass Bridget Archer said the opening of the 15km track continues a grand vision for tourism in the region.
“As a local and former Mayor, I fully appreciate the significance of this project and the ongoing benefits it will provide to our community which is why I fought so hard to secure this funding during the 2019 election” she said.
George Town Mayor, Cr Greg Kieser said, “We’re so excited to be partnering with the Australian Government and Bell Bay Aluminium to deliver this wonderful new recreational experience which will put our municipality on the mountain biking map in north eastern Tasmania. I have no doubt it will be a major drawcard and generate business opportunities and economic growth.
With our trail network only 35 minutes from Launceston we expect to see increased local and intrastate visitation as local mountain bikers and visitors will be close enough to come for a ride after work or for a half or full-day with the family on weekends. When border restrictions ease we expect to see significantly increased numbers of interstate visitors on the trails.
As a keen mountain bike enthusiast, I am very excited to join with our community and Bell Bay Aluminium on Saturday for our “Sneak Peek” event and that the Mt George Trail Network will be open to the general public from this Sunday.”
Shona Markham, General Manager, Bell Bay Aluminium is thrilled about the development and what it can do for the region. “Mountain biking is growing in popularity both as a pastime enjoyed by locals and as a reason for tourists to visit a destination," she said.
“By facilitating access to land owned by the smelter for a significant portion of the Mt George Trails and the Tippogoree Hills network which is currently under construction, we are investing in our local community to improve the liveability of the region and attract more visitation to George Town. This will create local jobs as well as helping to grow the local George Town and Tamar Valley economies. This is a great example of where an industry like ours and tourism can work hand in hand.”
Design and construction of the Mt George trails has been undertaken by internationally renowned trail builders ‘World Trail’. Construction is currently underway on the second stage of the George Town Mountain Bike Trails in the Tippogoree Hills.
