​$450,000 to implement the Western Australian Mountain Bike Strategy

The Western Australian Government has announced that $450,000 will be allocated to the Western Australian Mountain Bike Strategy over three years to drive the expansion of the fast growing recreational activity.

In the first year, WestCycle will use the funds to:

• Employ a full-time project manager to deliver the identified strategy priorities
• Provide assistance to mountain bike clubs to ensure they grow and prosper
• Conduct a health impact assessment of the benefits of mountain biking in WA
• Investigate and develop strategies to grow children's participation
• Develop a standard for mountain biking guides to ensure positive and consistent 
• Experiences for those that undertake guided tours
• Develop a marketing plan to ensure maximum participation potential is reached.

Announcing the funding Western Australian Sport and Recreation Minister Mia Davies stated “we are blessed with amazing natural landscapes in WA and incredible trails to match.

"This funding will go to WestCycle - the State's peak cycling body - and the WA Mountain Bike Association to deliver recommendations from the strategy, released in May.

 "One recommendation was increasing female participation, which currently sits at about 12%. So some funds will go towards developing female-friendly strategies, like a program in Karratha which has successfully encouraged women to get involved in mountain biking."

Western Australian Environment Minister Albert Jacob added that about 120,000 mountain bikes were purchased each year in WA and almost half a million West Australians now owned a mountain bike.

Minister Jacob stated “the Department of Parks and Wildlife is proud of the trails it has created, which showcase the natural beauty of our State.

"Mountain biking is a healthy, family friendly activity that caters for a range of ages and levels. It also has important flow-on economic, social and tourism benefits, all of which the strategy aims to maximise."

Two years in development, the strategy was funded and supported by Western Australia’s Departments of Sport and Recreation and Parks and Wildlife and prepared by WA's peak cycling body WestCycle and the WA Mountain Bike Association.

For more information go www.westcycle.org.au

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