mmg.com.au

Work on a $2million development at Moama’s Five Mile Reserve is well under way.

Work started before Christmas to build the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service development, which includes a mountain bike track, a boat ramp with a sealed boat and trailer parking area, car parking area, visitor area with gas barbecues and shelters, bus turnaround bay, high ropes course and bank stabilisation works.

The redevelopment of the reserve area is one of many projects initiated after the NSW River Red Gum Nature Tourism Action Plan was released last year.

A mountain bike track includes a pump track, a skills park and 7km of beginner, intermediate and advanced cross country tracks.

The track facilities are being built as part of the project’s first stage.

Earthworks, concrete works and a retaining wall are expected to be built in the next few weeks and the track is expected be completed in a month.

A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said, following the completion of the mountain bike track, drainage works, road pavement and sealing works would start.

‘‘In the near future, the establishment of the high ropes adventure course will occur and discussions are under way with Marine Rescue NSW, who want to base a volunteer marine rescue facility within the reserve,’’ the spokesperson said.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service did not need Murray Shire approval on the project.

Murray Shire general manager Greg Murdoch said he was familiar with the plans and supportive of what was proposed.

‘‘They’ve done quite a lot of research on the type of visitors they can and want to attract to their parks,’’ Mr Murdoch said.

‘‘Part of the outcome of that research is (that) this sort of activity is sought after.

‘‘It seems to me it would add value to the area in terms of tourism infrastructure.’’

The mountain bike tracks are being constructed by Dirt Art, an internationally-renowned Tasmanian-based company specialising in mountain bike track design and construction.