Bike trail to Melbourne the centrepiece of Liberal plan to accelerate cycling tourism

CYCLISTS would be able to ride on a world-class dedicated cycling trail from Adelaide to Melbourne under a policy to be released on Sunday by the State Opposition.

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CYCLISTS would be able to ride on a world-class dedicated cycling trail from Adelaide to Melbourne under a bold proposal by the State Opposition.

Liberal leader Steven Marshall will on Sunday unveil his plan to tap into the lucrative cycling tourism market with a raft of new dedicated bike paths aimed at bolstering SA’s reputation as the cycling capital of Australia.

Mr Marshall said a bike path — about 1000km long and dubbed the “Great Southern Bike Trail” — will inject millions of dollars into local businesses including restaurants, wineries and adventure tourism operators.

“We will develop a world-class tourism cycling trail to attract more international and interstate visitors to South Australia which will inject millions of dollars into our economy and support regional jobs,” Mr Marshall told the Sunday Mail.

“The trail will grow our own tourism sector by encouraging visitors to get out of Adelaide and into our beautiful regions, staying longer and spending more only in South Australia.”

Keen cyclists Peter Mitchell, 20, and Chelsea Malcolm, 19, riding along a path at Lockleys. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Mr Marshall said the exact route of the trail will be subject to a public consultation process but it is anticipated the cycling route would begin in Adelaide and head south over the barrages of the Murray Mouth and down through the Limestone Coast in SA’s South-East, eventually linking up with the Great Ocean Rd and into Melbourne.

The plan, that has in-principle support from the Victorian Liberal Opposition and the Federal Government, is yet to be fully costed but is expected to require a mix of federal and state funding.

Mr Marshall said the Adelaide to Melbourne route would be “a mecca for serious cyclists looking for a challenging and safe route” to experience Australia’s southern coast.

“The trail would also feature a series of tourism-focused loops around some of Australia’s most beautiful regions to cater for all levels of cycling ability.”

In its 2015 survey of cycle tourism, Roy Morgan found that five of the top nine areas for cycle tourism in Australia were in South Australia including the Adelaide Hills, the Riverland, Flinders Range, Clare and McLaren Vale.

In 2017 the Tour Down Under brought 43,000 interstate and overseas visitors to SA, generating $65.5 million worth of economic activity.

Mr Marshall said cycling tourists typically stay longer, spend more money and travel during the off-season to avoid the heat.

“We will begin making this vision a reality by commissioning a study to assess existing cycling infrastructure near the proposed route, looking at what additional would be required,” he said.

“We will also undertake detailed modelling of the proposed economic, regional and jobs benefits.”