Missing trail link in City’s hands

A PARCEL of land in Mount Clear has been purchased by the City of Ballarat with the aim of bridging a gap in the Buninyong rail trail.

Located at 55 Recreation Road the triangular, pine-filled block of land, which also includes remnants of a heritage wooden rail bridge, was previously owned by the Victorian School Building Authority and is in a rural conservation zone which cannot be developed.

With City assistance, Friends of Canadian Corridor will be able to proceed with a proposed project to preserve what’s left of the historic railway line and surrounding native bushland.

Lobbying for the purchase since 2019, FOCC secretary Jeff Rootes said the goal is to create an all-abilities accessible public walking trail along the old line’s embankment, which will connect to the Canadian Creek, Woowookarung Regional Park, and Mount Clear’s school and sporting precinct.

“It’s just over two years since we spotted an auction sign, and we approached Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle to pause that auction, pending a proposal. The rest is now history,” Mr Rootes said.

“There are landowners, and 10 local community groups involved in the project, including Mount Clear College, walking and cycle groups.

“Without their strong support, the goodwill and encouragement of councillors and council officers, and Michaela, we would never have got off first base.”

Once the trail is established, Mr Rootes said it will fill a gap in the “Bunny trail loop,” which begins at the Eureka Centre, travelling through Woowookarung to Mount Clear.

There is potential for that trail to go onto Buninyong via Olympic Avenue, across the easement of the Regional Park’s gorge, over Greenhill Road, behind Federation University’s Mount Helen Campus, and into Union Jack Reserve.

Ms Settle said the volunteer members of FOCC are invaluable advocates for the Regional Park’s flora, fauna and history, and the broader Buninyong electorate.

“I was pleased to support their request to see Ballarat council purchase this piece of Education Department land,” she said.

“This is an important piece of the puzzle, as it opens up space for the trail between the Eureka Centre and Mount Clear.”

City of Ballarat CEO Evan King said the land purchase has been a successful team effort.

“The City… has collaborated with various community groups to purchase the land at 55 Recreation Road from the Department of Treasury and Finance, to provide the 410-metre-long trail connection,” he said.

“The City of Ballarat is committed to continuing to work with community groups to ensure the ongoing maintenance of the trail.”