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The Old Warburton Residents Association was formed recently as a response to news that our little community is right in the middle of the Yarra Ranges Councils planned “Mountain Bike Destination Project”. Most proposed trails are in and around Old Warburton, running between our properties, close to some houses, and all over the slopes of Mt Little Joe and Mt Tugwell either side of us. This is a large $6 million dollar infrastructure project that council predicts will bring 130 000 visitors annually. We resent our quiet little settlement being turned into a playground for tourists and consider it to be an example of totally inappropriate development .
We are not anti mountain bike or against the idea of a mountain bike project for Warburton but we are unanimously opposed to the proposal in its current form.
Issues with the proposal in its current form
Click on the following points to expand:
Breaking News On Shuttling Click here
We have found certain members of the councils “active living team” (who are supposed to be consulting with us) to be rude and dismissive of our concerns.
The proposed trail head car park and other infrastructure is on Mt Tugwell. Yarra Ranges Council say they will “convene a panel to minimise impacts” and use “cutting edge trail design” to protect possums. This does nothing to alleviate our concerns. It is totally inappropriate to place a large development like this in an area that is habitat to our critically endangered state faunal emblem.
2014, 2016 Government authorities identified existing Critically Endangered Leadbeater’s Possum colonies within logging zones and the surrounding Central Highlands Forest of Mt Tugwell/Mt Bride Zone. The forest buffering identified as suitable forest habitat highly likely to contain unidentified colonies of the Critically Endangered Leadbeater’s Possum, also acknowledged by authorities and researchers.Concerned contact: Federal Minister for the Environment. The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP www.aph.gov.au/J_Frydenberg_MP and Assistant Minister for the Environmen. The Hon. Melissa Price MP www.aph.gov.au/M_Price_MPPlease click here for more information.
The Victorian Heritage Database Report says “The site has both historical and archaeological importance” and “The whole site is quite fragile and needs to be protected from further visitation. It is also likely to be at risk from looting.”

Important Links
Maps
View the master plan maps.
NOTE: There is no date or version information on the track plans. They were provided by Yarra Ranges Council in May 2018.
Contact
email: info@oldwarburton.com