No action on Red Centre Adventure Ride five years after funding announced

A Central Australian MLA say Alice Springs is missing out on a mountain bike tourism boom due to a delay in the construction of the $12m Red Centre Adventure Ride bike path.

A Central Australian MLA believes the region is missing out on a mountain biking boom as they’re yet to see shovels on the ground on a multimillion-dollar project announced in 2018.

The Red Centre Adventure Ride was announced in 2018 as a 200km bike trail between Alice Springs and Glen Helen in Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park.

In 2019, Tourism, Sport and Culture Minister Lauren Moss announced a tender had been awarded, with the project expected to be completed in by late 2020.

It was allocated $12m in funding by the Northern Territory government in 2018.

The 200km bike path connecting Glen Helen in West MacDonnell National Park and Alice Springs was supposed to be completed in late 2020. Pictured is Glen Helen Gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne drew attention to the bike path during NT parliament last week.

Mr Burgoyne said since the tender announcement in 2019 “nothing” had occurred to progress the bike path.

“This government announced it in 2017–18, and nothing has happened. I understand the need to work with Traditional Owners on access, but I question whether this project has been given the importance it deserves,” he said.

“It is a vitally important project for Central Australia.”

Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne said Alice Springs businesses had had “enough of promises and glossy documents” and wanted to see shovels in the ground on key projects.

Mr Burgoyne pointed to the mountain biking tourism market in Tasmania as an example of what impact the industry could have on Alice Springs.

“The tourism market in mountain biking in Tasmania is huge,” he said.

“It has turned around small towns that were slowly falling away, with not many people visiting.

“They got that investment happening and built incredible trails and suddenly people with tens of thousands of dollars’ mountain bikes are arriving.

“That is what we need for Alice Springs and Central Australia.”

Mr Burgoyne said businesses had had “enough of promises and glossy documents”.

“We need to see tyres hit the road and shovels hit the ground,” he said.

Tourism Minister Nicole Manison said Mr Burgoyne was “either playing politics or asleep at the wheel”.

“He knows that work is currently with the Central Land Council and Traditional Owners to secure the staged roll out of the project and Covid-19 had a major impact on this project and the ability to engage with traditional owners.”

“This will be a great project for Central Australia and Territory tourism.”