08:00
| Registration and Starter Refreshments |
09:00 | Official Opening and Welcome
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09:30 | KEYNOTE ADDRESS DAFYDD DAVIS MBE Whole-of-Landscape Trail Planning...creating destinations, bringing benefits to communities and adding value to public lands |
10:30 | Refreshment Break
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11:00 | STATE OF THE TRAILS A series of presentations from around the
country highlighting the latest in trail business, industry development, land management proctices, design and everything else that is making news. |
12:30 | Lunch
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13:30 | FACILITATED PANEL SESSION The Business of Partnerships The relationship between governments and community groups seeking to develop trail opportunities is often a complex one. This session will explore two examples of how government agencies and community groups can work together and leverage the strengths of each to achieve worlds best practice outcomes. John Dunn, Programme Manager, NZ Ministry of Economic Development (NZ) Pam Gluck, Executive Director American Trails (USA) Crystal Reed, Executive Officer Munda Biddi Foundation Inc (WA) Kerstin Stender, Project Coordinator, Department Environment and Conservation (WA)
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15:00 | Refreshment Break
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15:30 | CONCURRENT SESSION #1 (15:30 - 17:00) |
Theme | COMMUNITY | DESTINATION
| DESIGN
| BUSINESS
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3.30
| Great Blue Mountains Trail - following in the footsteps of our early explorers Neil Tredwell, Manager Tredwell Management
| Australian Success Stories - a national fly-over of great Australian trails. Nicolas Bowman, National Director IMBA Australia
| Lysterfield Mountain Bike Park and Trailmix: A small business operator's entrepreneurial partnership with Parks Victoria delivers sustainable success for Melbourne's iconic MTB Park. Kristjan Snorrason, Trailmix.
| Digital Media and your trail experience. Rod Annear A/Assistant Director of Parks and Visitor Services, Department of Environment and Conservation WA
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4.00
| Development of a world-class off-road cycling trail: the Munda Biddi Crystal Reed - Executive Officer Munda Biddi Foundation Inc (WA),Kerstin Stender - Project Coordinator, Department Environment and Conservation (WA) | Resolving trail bike conflicts. Steve Pretzel (WA)
| Active Trails: lessons from a collaborative initiative Darryl Low Choy and Steve MacDonald (QLD) | Social What?? Peter Solly, Serial Entrepreneur (SA)
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4.30
| "Walking the line - balancing community aspirations and environmental sustainability in a contemporary MTB policy" Dianne MacLean, Tourism and Visitor Management, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
| Nga Haerenga, The New Zealand Cycle Trail John Dunn, Programme Manager, New Zealand Cycle Trail | A longitudinal assessment of environmental and use impacts to Brisbane's Gap Creek Circuit mountain bike trail Stu Clement Stuart Clement Solutions (SA) | Geo-Design my Ride... Andrew Fellows
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17:00 | Close of Sessions/Informal networking |
THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER |
8:30 | Refresments
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09:00
| KEYNOTE ADDRESS PAM GLUCK - Executive Director American Trails It's all about Partnerships - American Trails vision is to provide a trail opportunity to all Americans within 15 minutes of home or workplace - its all about partnerships
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10:00
| Refreshment Break
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10:30
| FACILITATED PANEL SESSION (10:30 - 12:30) Regional and Landscape Planning - integrating trails within long term, strategic landscape-scale planning policy. It is now acknowledged that sustainable trail infrastructure provides significant benefits to communities through the provision of greener and more active transport opportunities, improved tourism destination development, better informed environmental management practices and increased health benefits through a more physically active community. Trail development is therefore a key ingredient to "smart" regional planning policy. This session will look at communities that have embraced trails at the "pointy" end of the planning process.
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12:30
| Lunch
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13:30
| CONCURRENT SESSION #2 (13:30 - 15:00)
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Theme
| Community
| Destination
| Design
| |
1.30
| New kid on the block: Balancing mountain biking with other uses of NSW national parks. Philip Nicholas, Experience Development Coordinator, National Parks and Wildlife Service (VIC) | Have your say - Australian Greeways Declaration. An information and ideation session. Stephen Hodge, Facilitator Australian Greenways Declaration
| The Australian Walking Track Grading System Richard Wadsworth (VIC)
| |
2.00
| Signs of Recovery - The place of design in rebuilding social and economic capital post-Natural Disaster Steve Jones (VIC)
| Clarence - River of Adventure Project Danny Parkin, Liz Fairweather and
Richard Dunning | Walking and MTB Trails - some principles for cooperation Bill Gehling, President of the Walking Federation of SA (SA) | |
2.30 | A small Success Story - Parks and Wildlife Service rangers versus pesky MTB's. A generally negative relationship turning sweet! Shamus Conway - Senior Ranger, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QLD) | A glance back at the development of the Otago Central Railtrail and a cycle tourism business. Neville Grubb (NZ) | Mechanised Trail Development - do these techniques and technologies yield a faster, better, more cost effective trail network?
Tony Boone, IMBA
(USA) | |
3.00
| Refreshment Break
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15:30
| FACILITATED PANEL SESSION 1 (15:30 - 17:00) Natural Disasters - floods, fires, drought and extreme weather. These occurances are only forecast to increase in severity and frequency. What does this mean for trail planning and asset management. From ranger to small business operator, regional develoment authorities to policy planners in state agencies - what can we do to mitigate these risks and how can we learn from the remediation work that has and will be undertaken following recent events. |
16:10 | FACILITATED PANEL SESSION 2 (15:30 - 17:00) National Standards - are they the ultimate rejection handler? There is much discussion on the relative merits of the trails sector working together to develop a set of national standards that encompass all aspects of trail design, contruction, use, management, signage, marketing and interpretation - from urban to regional/remote communities. Will national standards improve the manner in which the promised experience is delivered to the user and more importantly, will the delivered experience meet the promise? This session will investigate some international and local examples where a clear set of "standards" has delivered significantly improved outcomes for communities. Daffyd Davis - International Trails Consultant (UK) Richard Wadsworth - Statewide Recreation & Tourism Coordinator, Forests & Parks Division (VIC) |
17:00
| Close of Sessions/Informal Networking
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18:30
| Conference Dinner
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FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER |
08:30 | Refreshments
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09:00 | KEYNOTE ADDRESS MICHAEL HAYNES Michael will dive into the issues of developing policy that delivers cost effective solutions and more sustainable health, transport, environmental, recreation and tourism outcomes to the community.
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10:30
| Refreshment Break
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11:00
| PLENARY WORKSHOP SESSION (11:00 - 12:00) New ways of doing old business...alternative natural asset management models The Business of Trails is a proven economic driver for regional communities as well as providing improved health, transport and recreation outcomes for urban populations. For those natural assets that sit adjacent to or within conservation areas, striking the right balance between visitation and conservation is a challenge not new to managers. Resourcing the management of assets under state or federal control will continue to be done within tight (and in some cases shrinking) budget allocations. This workshop session will investigate whether or how "business" can be engaged to invest in the future welfare of trail asset management. Pam Gluck, Executive Director American Trails
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12:00 | PLENARY WORKSHOP SESSION (12:00 - 1:00) Greenways Declaration - the merits of a Commonwealth Greenways Declaration. The Greenways Working Group (GWG) of Trails Australia have drafted a Greenways Declaration for consideration by the Commonwealth, based upon the Lille 2000 Declaration. Delegates will have the opportunity to review the draft declaration prior to the conference. The potential benefits of a national approach to the recognition and development of Greeways in Australia will be identified through a facilitated plenary discussion. The GWG will present the following for consideration by all delegates: "The Australian National Tracks and Trails Conference have endorsed the Declaration of Greenways for Australia. The Declaration provides a national statement about the values of greenways for Australia and Australians and to seek in-principle support from the Australian Government to recognise the Declaration, setting direction to progress formal recognition of greenways." |
1:00 | Summary Session and Closing Remarks National Tracks and Trails Conference - the way forward. The work of Trails Australia and the development of the National Tracks and Trails Conference will be open for general discussion as well as the potential formation of a series of working groups to progress critical development areas identified during the conference. ALL |
13:30
| Lunch
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