General News
20 April, 2025
Pushes for bike trail funds
FEDERAL Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, State Member for Hill Shane Knuth, Tablelands Mayor Rod Marti and Tablelands Cycle Sports president David Prete have joined together to call on State and Federal governments to commit funding to expand Atherton’s mountain bike park.
Mr Katter believes the expansion of the Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park (AFMBP) will be vital for the future economic prosperity of the Tablelands region and the broader Far North.
“This is a region that pumps out sugarcane, avocados, bananas, coffee and more for the rest of the country – really, it’s the food bowl of the north – and what do we ask in return? Just a small investment in infrastructure that brings people here, keeps locals active, and gives people something to do besides staring at a screen,” he said.
Stage one of the AFMBP, delivered in 2013, was a collaborative effort involving Tablelands Cycle Sports, Tablelands Regional Council, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and First Australians representatives.
The trail network now spans approximately 55km of purpose-built mountain bike trails designed and constructed by World Trail.
Stage two aims to add over 50km of internationally benchmarked trails, positioning the AFMBP on the national and global map for mountain biking destinations.
“These trails will be inclusive, world-class, and profitable,” Mr Katter said.
“They’ll get kids off the couch, tourists out of the airport, and dollars flowing into the Far North.”
The existing trails meet almost all the criteria required for international trail recognition under World Trail benchmarking, including airport proximity, accommodation, and a natural landscape.
The primary enhancement needed is increased trail density, which Stage two seeks to address.
Mr Prete stressed the importance of mountain biking to the tourism sector.
“Tasmania got in early – they saw the opportunity. Derby now attracts 60,000 plus visitors a year, and Whistler in Canada makes more money in the biking season than the ski season,” he said.
“Mountain bikers are high-value visitors – they stay longer, they spend more, and they come back. This is a game-changer for Far North Queensland.”
A completed business case indicates the project would return $4 for every dollar invested and generate nearly $70 million for the regional economy over the next decade.
“All we’re asking for is funding to do the groundwork,” Mr Katter said.
“Stage one was a joint effort between council, State, and Federal Governments – and it’ll take the same kind of commitment again to make Stage two a reality.”
