Mogo Trails
Project: Adventure trail hub planning for Mogo and surrounds.
Funding: The project will be built using a $5 million grant from the NSW and Australian Governments’ Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, and a $3 million grant from the NSW Government’s Growing Local Economies Fund.
Timeframe: April 2019 to mid-2024
Last updated: January 2024
Details
We are working to:
- plan and build an adventure trail hub in the Mogo area.
Benefits to the community:
- increase in tourism-related business opportunities, particularly in off-peak times
- increase in overnight stays
- improved reputation for Mogo (and the Eurobodalla) as a tourist destination with many diverse experiences
- increased opportunity for tourists and locals alike to immerse themselves in nature.
Nature-based tourism such as adventure trail experiences is a rapidly growing industry in NSW.
The Eurobodalla Destination Action Plan illustrates that for the year ending September 2017, NSW received nearly 28.3 million international and domestic overnight nature-based visitors who spent almost 129 million nights in NSW. Nature-based visitors accounted for 84% of international visitors to NSW, 37% of domestic overnight visitors and 23% of day trip visitors.
Eurobodalla is renowned for its natural environment. The region has a number of trails that weave through bushland, creeks, wetlands and rainforests. These informal trails offer potential to develop adventure trail tourism.
Trail locations
Council and Rocky Trail Destination prepared the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the trail network.
A REF was required before Forestry Corporation NSW (Forestry) could issue a permit for the trail network. This process raised some unique challenges due to the large footprint of the network.
Trail heads are planned across the network at three locations.
This trail access will be formalised. Works will be low impact involving clearing the ground of any fallen trees or other debris and the installation of wayfinding and user information signage. Formalisation will also manage water crossings to avoid erosion.
The two-way trail will be approximately two metres wide. We are also planning to make the end of the Curtis Road area no parking.
Visitor parking and amenities for this trail will be located at Corrigans Beach reserve.
Signage will inform riders of traffic in the area and the need to follow all road rules.
For trail users accessing the the Deep Creek Dam area from Mogo there will be a trail head located at the corner of James Street and Annett Street. A second trail head will be located at the Mogo Recreation Park for access to the Maulbrooks area.
Both trails heads will provide user information and wayfinding signage.
Parking for both trail heads will be provided at Mogo Recreation Park.
A trail head will be established near the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens. This trail will provide central access to the network east of the Princes Highway. Parking and amenities will be provided at this trail head.
Project updates
2024
January 2024
- Construction has hit a milestone with 50km of trails completed. Progress is steady, and we appreciate your patience.
- Design adjustments for optimization, during the detailed design phase, some updates were made to optimize the trail network. These changes aim to enhance the overall trail experience.
- Our trail builders are focused on delivering quality and durability. This means the trails are designed to withstand wear and tear, particularly during wet weather.
- There's been a trail length adjustment for quality. While prioritising quality, there's a slight reduction in total trail length. However, we're still expecting to offer over 125km of trails, ensuring a well-rounded experience.
2023
July 2023
- Trail construction is progressing smoothly. Next Level MTB team of 19 has up to eight excavators operating at any time.
- Please refrain from using the freshly built trails until they are officially opened.
Riding the trails before their scheduled opening will require the team to revisit the work on these trails, impacting other crucial tasks. Your cooperation will help ensure the timely completion of high-quality trails. - The Deep Creek Dam network has undergone several updates, incorporating valuable feedback from the Next Level Crew, who discovered that the soil in this area is great to work with. As a result of these updates, the revised network around Deep Creek Dam now spans about 90km.
April 2023
- Trail construction is well underway with four crews from Next Level Mountain Bike working in the forest. Until the trails are officially opened, the area remains a construction site. This means a strict no access policy.
January 2023
- Forestry Corporation NSW issued a permit for the trail network.
- Council has reached a major project milestone allowing construction crews to get started: Forestry Corporation NSW approved the Review of Environmental Factors.
- The Next Level MTB team are arriving to start construction from mid-January. We ask interested community members to respect all safety signage and keep clear of work crews. Please stay off all freshly built trails until officially opened. All project enquires should be directed to Council.
2022
November 2022
- Rocky Trail Destination completed the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) and submitted it to Forestry Corporation (Forestry) for assessment. Once approved, the trail builders will mobilise for construction. Next Level Mountain Bike will start construction approximately five weeks after REF approval (weather permitting).
- Council started planning Mogo Recreation Park. We are working closely with the Mogo Village Business Chamber for delivery of a pump track and a new community facility. The Chamber is finalising pre-construction activities.
- Members of the local riding community established the Batemans Bay Mountain Bike Club. Council is developing a website and information can be found by searching 'Batemans Bay Mountain Bike Club' on Facebook.
January 2022
- Rocky Trail Destination and Next Level Mountain Bike are working with Forestry and Council to narrow down the trail corridors. The construction team will start walking the proposed corridors this month to assess the landscape for the final track alignment.
- Council and Forestry will soon review the final design which will be used to progress environmental and cultural approvals. Ongoing trail refinement will continue until we’re ready to break ground – we’re aiming to get started on construction in March 2022.
- Next Level Mountain Bike has been busy planning its work crews and procuring equipment to get ready for the trails' construction and machinery is set to arrive in Mogo in the new year.
2021
September 2021
- Council awarded the detailed design, construction and maintenance contract for the Mogo Trails to Rocky Trail Destination and Next Level Mountain Bike.
- The brand name 'Mogo Trails' was adopted.
June 2021
- Council was successful in attracting $5 million under Stage Two of the joint NSW and Australian Governments’ Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund. This new funding allows us to not only complete the 150 kilometres of trails, but also means we can extend the project on the south side of Mogo and add amenities.
2020
December 2020
- The masterplan was adopted at the Ordinary Council meeting on 8 December 2020:
October 2020
- The Mogo Adventure Trail Hub Project was awarded $3 million NSW Government funding through the Growing Local Economies Fund.
September 2020
- Council endorsed the draft Mogo Adventure Trails Hub Masterplan for public exhibition.
- The draft masterplan was on exhibition for community feedback from Thursday 10 September to Monday 19 October 2020.
February 2020
- Council appointed specialist consultants Dirt Art to begin preparing the masterplan.
2019
August 2019
- TRC Tourism prepared the Mogo Adventure Trails Hub Strategy and councillors were briefed on Tuesday 20 August 2019:
May 2019
- Council engaged specialist consultants TRC Tourism to begin preparing the Mogo Adventure Trails Hub Strategy.
- Council and TRC Tourism facilitated two stakeholder workshops at the Moruya Golf Club. The workshops were aimed at understanding the issues and opportunities of a trail hub surrounding Mogo and attracted a diverse range of trails users and key stakeholders.
More information
For more information about the Mogo Trails, please contact Council's Divisional Manager Strategic and Sustainable Growth:
- T: 02 4474 1326
- E: Elizabeth Rankin