MANY sites around the Southern Grampians Shire testify strongly to past volcanic activity and last Wednesday, Council voted to adopt the Greater Hamilton Volcanic Trail Masterplan to take advantage of both the tourism and local recreational possibilities the locations offer.

The ‘Trail’ comprises seven sites within the Shire: Wannon Falls, Nigretta Falls, Byaduk Caves, Harman’s Valley Lookout, Wallacedale Tumuli, Mt Napier and Mt Rouse - currently these sites are developed and maintained to varying degrees across multiple government authorities, and in presenting the proposal, planning and development director, Andrew Goodsell said it was “an exciting opportunity”.

“There are a number of assets across the community in terms of their volcanic waterfalls, mountains and the like and we have a strategy which is designed to leverage off those,” he said.

“It will potentially look at $20 million of investment over a period of time - we think we'll get significant support from state and federal governments.”

Cooper Scaife Architects and LookEar interpretive design were engaged in July 2020 to undertake a master planning process for the Volcanic Trail.

The resulting masterplan placed high importance on preserving and promoting both the natural environment and indigenous heritage of the region.

To this end, consultation was undertaken with a range of strategic partners, stakeholders and agencies, including Parks Victoria, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (GHCMA), Friends Groups, Landcare Groups, and Emergency Services and Road Authorities.

As part of the upgrades, considerations for each site would be given to volcanic formations, aboriginal connections, indigenous plants, wildlife and colonial history.

Uncle Johnny Lovett, a Gunditjmara Elder, on advice from Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, provided cultural advice to the design team.

Councillor, Albert Calvano moved the motion and in seconding, Cr Mary-Ann Brown said she was very enthusiastic about it and hoped locals would look at it more closely.

“It is a significant opportunity for our shire in terms of improving those terrific natural assets,” she said.

“As the director indicated, we've had encouraging indications from both state and federal government, so it would be a significant addition to the opportunities we offer, both to visitors and also to local residents.

“I think the plan at this stage is really excellent plan and I think all councillors share that view, of strongly commend(ing) it, and I'd encourage those in the community interested to have a look on our website to get more detail because it's a very detailed report.”

Cr David Robertson agreed and called it “a magnificent project … that we will all benefit from” but he hoped the realisation of the plan would not be a disappointment and echoed an observation from DELWP.

“There is a risk that the high-quality presentation of the masterplan’s development proposals may generate community expectations that are not able to be satisfied,” he said.

He cited the current state of some of the locations that were not managed by the shire that were “in a state of disrepair” and said it would be important to consider the ongoing upkeep of the new developments.

Included in the upgrades are various combinations at the different sites of new picnic areas, road and car park improvements, new lookouts and toilets, gas BBQ installations, bench seating and campgrounds, all with signage which will follow a yet-to-be-developed style guide.

The associated branding strategy would ensure that all the reserves across the shire present a consistent and well-designed suite of signage elements.

The opening of new walking trails between the Tapoc / Mt Napier campground and the Byaduk Caves (12 kilometres), and a shared mountain bike / walking trail between Nigretta Falls and Wannon Falls (nine km) were also two major features of the plan.

In the case of the latter, it would also intersect with the Hamilton to Coleraine Rail Trail, opening up even more possibilities in the region.

Cr Calvano commended Mr Goodsell for the great detail of the document and noted it must’ve taken “hours and hours of work”, before Council voted unanimously in favour of the proposal.

Mayor, Bruach Colliton said he was extremely pleased with the masterplan and saw it as a much-needed project.

“We all know how amazing the natural assets around us are,” he said.

“We live in them, we know them, we see them every day. But this really captures these significant places.”

The Greater Hamilton region is one of the only areas in the world to have two World Heritage Areas within two hours drive of one another and submission will be made to the Victorian Government’s – “Enabling Tourism Fund” seeking funding to support the next stage of detailed design, permits, and approvals.

“Identified as one of Council’s key advocacy priorities in the Community Investment Plan, the development of our Volcanic Trail will shape our region for decades to come offering a truly unique experience not only in the Southern Grampians but across Victoria and South Australia,” he said.

“Council are looking to pre-tender and progress detailed design work required to make this project investment-ready.

 “The volcanic trails across our region is the final piece of the puzzle for people to go and explore and really understand where we live.

“It's to build better pathways, better signage, to tell the stories and it's to build camping and infrastructure for people to stay.

“I think if we can see this fulfilled, this will be a prime tourism asset for our region.”