Dan Tehan, Member for Wannon, Media Release, 30 November 2021
Visitors and locals alike will now be able to enjoy the magnificent natural and cultural environment of the heritage-listed Grampians National Park thanks to funding from the Morrison Government’s highly successful Building Better Regions Fund.
Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan said he was delighted to launch the 160 km world-class hiking trail Grampians Peaks Trail, starting at Mt Zero in the north, passing through Halls Gap and with highlights including Redman Bluff, Major Mitchell Plateau and Mt Abrupt before reaching Dunkeld in the south.
The Grampians Peaks Trail will bring an important economic and tourism development opportunity for the local community, the region and Victoria as a key nature-based tourism destination and will be one of the great iconic walks of Australia, said Mr Tehan.
Mr Tehan said as a keen bushwalker I am looking forward to some of the day walks and more challenging 3-day hikes and enjoying not only the panoramic views but also taking on some of the challenging terrain.
Member for Mallee, Anne Webster said the trail will attract tourists to see the stunning sites the Grampians has to offer and embark on a new adventure.
“This is good news for Halls Gap and beyond. This trail will showcase the beautiful landscape of Grampians National Park while fostering growth in the region through trade and tourism.
“Small businesses will be given a much-needed boost from tourists which this new trail is sure to attract. Retailers, accommodation providers, restaurants, spas, transport services, adventure companies, to name a few, will benefit from the Grampians Peaks Trail.
“This truly is a beautiful part of the world, that so many more people will experience now and for decades to come. I am looking forward to walking part of it myself.”
This project supported 175 jobs during construction and will create another 55 ongoing jobs, each of which will support our region well into the future.
The project aims to increase the total number of walkers using the Grampians Peaks Trail from 13,800 in 2015 to over 34,000 walkers by 2025 and will generate more than $6 million of economic benefit for the region and Victoria.
The Morrison Government is committed to ensuring the future of our rural and regional communities, with the Grampians Peaks Trail being just one example of our investment in tourism that will protect existing jobs and create new ones while positioning regional towns and economies to capitalise on Australia’s post-COVID recovery as borders reopen and people start travelling again.
Our infrastructure and community investments will ensure our regions remain great places to live and visit while enabling them to continue supporting important regional industries which create jobs.
This project received $10 million in funding from the Australian Government under the National Stronger Regions and Building Better Regions Fund. The Victorian State Government funded $23.2 million.
Grampians National Park is part of the Gariwerd Aboriginal cultural landscape.
