Plans revealed for Smithfield mountain bike park expansion, but state government funding needed

Reports reveal Cairns is sitting on a untapped adventure tourism goldmine and stakeholders are demanding the state government act now to take the region to a new economic level.

Cairns is sitting on an untapped goldmine in tourism revenue as plans for an impressive expansion of Smithfield’s mountain bike park can be revealed for the first time.

Smithfield’s park currently has 30km of mostly intermediate and advanced mountain biking trails cut into the side of the Macalister Range used by about 27,000 riders per year, according to local estimates.

But concept reports and economic analyses seen by the Cairns Post show a planned expansion of the park to 85km of trails could increase annual use to almost 96,000 riders, putting more than $100m per year into the pockets of local businesses.

Once operational, the expanded park is estimated to support 566 full-time equivalent jobs paying $38m in annual wages and salaries.

The expansion of the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park from 30km of trails to 85km could bring more than $100m to the Far North’s economy every year. Picture: Nuno Avendano

But to bring that lucrative dream to life, the region needs to secure funding commitments: $155,000 to progress the project into a design phase, followed by $12m for construction.

“Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Other places are expanding their offerings all around us, so if we don’t act we will be left behind,” Tony Trafford – founder of Skytrails, a Far North mountain biking lobby group – said. “We need a commitment from the state government to move into the design stage. We need to get environmental studies under way, sign off from the traditional owners and completion of ground truthing, which will determine cost per metre and turn squiggles on a map into firm trail plans.

Jason Laska, Tony Trafford, Grant Doherty and Gus Soper in front of the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park. Picture: Nuno Avendano

“This is going to bring in a lot of money and it’s going to be good for everybody. It will add to the family holiday product in Cairns and cater to all skill levels to make the park more accessible.”
World Trails director Glen Jacobs, who authored the expansion’s concept report for Cairns Regional Council, said (while) other attractions in the region were reaching their limits of tourism and growth, mountain biking offered a new frontier.
“There’s an enormous opportunity for untapped growth,” Mr Jacobs said.
“You don’t get big groups of people getting on a plane for 30km of trail. To be a mountain biking destination, you need at least 85km of trail. That’s when people will come to the region for a week just for mountain biking, and then they’ll add other things, such as the reef and rainforest, on to their trip.

World Trail director Glen Jacobs and Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen among mega jumps at the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Other mountain biking destinations have seen increases of 50,000 to 80,000 visitors per year when they expanded. We’re noticing families are getting into it because it’s an activity for the kids all the way to the grandparents.”
The World Trails’ concept detailed more than 30 new possible trails, many of which were rated for beginner and intermediate skill sets.
One green, or easy, loop trail, for example, would run for more than 3km with gentle inclines and “fun flowing” descents.
But there would be an increase in advanced trails, too; one gravity-style trail, which would run for 1km, included a 191m descent jump, drops and other technical features.

Division 8 councillor Rhonda Coghlan said Cairns Regional Council endorsed the expansion of Smithfield’s trails. Picture: Isaac McCarthy

Mr Jacobs said it was important to increase the mix of trail designs to open the mark to a maximum cross-section of users.
“The major user growth is in the easy and intermediate trails. You’ve got to have something for everyone,” he said.
Other adventure tourism projects, such as the Wangetti Trail, have struggled to launch through layers of bureaucracy and approvals.
Division 8 councillor Rhonda Coghlan said stakeholders would have learnt lessons from such projects and she was confident the Smithfield park’s expansion could proceed with less barriers, once funding was secured.
“We want a product that puts us on the map as a mountain biking destination,” Cr Coghlan said.

Other Far North adventure tourism projects such as the Wangetti Trail have failed to launch through dense layers of bureaucracy. Picture: Department of Tourism

“We’ve sat back and watched the issues with Wangetti … there’s issues there that weren’t foreseen. We’re pre-empting those problems, the proper planning will be done.
“It is still to be decided who will be responsible for maintenance of the trails. It will definitely have to be managed by council and the state government working together. We would not expect the ratepayers to fund the full cost of maintenance.”
Cairns MP Michael Healy said he and Barron River MP Craig Crawford were fully supportive of the project but expected the council to chip in along with the state government.
“We know it needs funding, and we will continue to advocate for it. The benefits to our community and economy will be significant,” Mr Healy said.

Cairns MP Michael Healy said he was supportive of the project. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We’d love to see the council making an investment, too.
“While Wangetti has had a few hiccups, we’re moving in the right direction now.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said huge economic gains were going wanting without an increase in mountain biking infrastructure.
“We get two per cent of mountain bike tourism in Australia but five per cent of tourism overall. If we could increase mountain bike tourism in the Far North by one more per cent, the economy could gain an additional $100m per year,” Mr Olsen said.
“If you create more trails, you increase the length of stay. Millions of dollars are injected into the economy for every additional day.
“This is a perfect match for the region’s current tourism offerings, where you get to choose your own adventure. This adds to our product depth.”

Destination Cairns managing director Denis Donaghy said the expansion would add a new dimension of tourism offerings within the region. Picture: Josh Woning

According to an economic analysis prepared for the council by market research group AEC, the expansion’s construction would be completed over three years, creating 46 jobs and adding more than $14m to the economy in the process.
The analysis also estimated, after 30 years of operations, the park’s expansion could generate up to 250,000 additional annual visitor nights for the region.
Denis Donaghy, managing director of Destination Cairns, said the expansion was an easy win for the region and both local and state governments should exercise their power to seamlessly move the project through approval stages.
“This adds another dimension to our tourism offerings,” Mr Donaghy said.
“The expansion of the Smithfield trails is readily achievable.
“The mountain bike community is very well connected. I don’t think this would need hundreds of thousands of dollars of promotion. Once the word is out, mountain bikers will come.”

Originally published as Plans revealed for Smithfield mountain bike park expansion, but state government funding needed