WA trails to better connect with country, community and culture
Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman has outlined the way forward for trails in Western Australia, with the release of the WA Strategic Trails Blueprint 2022-2027.
The blueprint will guide the planning, development and management of quality trails, and trail experiences across the State, with an increased focus on ensuring they are inclusive and accessible.
It will also promote a shift in the trails industry towards deepening trail users' connection to country, community and culture — while ensuring ongoing economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
In the past 3 years the State Government has invested heavily in trails which create jobs and boost regional economies in the State's South West — in communities such as Collie and Dwellingup — including the $10 million Collie Adventure Trails initiative.
The blueprint was funded by the State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and Department Biodiversity, and Conservation and Attractions.
Its development involved collaboration between:
- local and State Government
- First Nations-led not-for-profit Common Ground
- representatives from the Western Australian Local Government Association
- Trails WA
- the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council.
The blueprint will be launched today at the 2022 WA Trails Forum, featuring guest speaker Galeo Saintz — the founding Chair of the World Trails Network — which champions the international trails industry and promotes the world's leading trails and trail destinations.