Trade News Briefs: Things are on the Move in Melbourne!
World Trail Breaks Ground on Warburton MTB Destination
After a decade of planning, extensive environmental studies, community opposition and setbacks, the huge Warburton MTB Destination is finally under construction.
This mountain bike park will include a massive 160 kilometres of singletrack and is located only about 30 minutes from the eastern edge of Melbourne’s suburbs and in light traffic less than one and a half hours from the CBD and airport.
Another key attraction, which was also a large element of the delays, is that the trails will be built through very attractive and undeveloped rainforest. There’s also massive elevation variation, with potential for one trail to have a kilometre of vertical fall, almost twice as much as the famous Whistler MTB park in Canada.
Warburton also has an existing bitumen road to the top of the mountain, making it easy for shuttle buses to operate.
The first trails are expected to open in the first half of 2025, subject to weather conditions.
At least two bicycle industry members have already purchased properties in the small town of Warburton in anticipation of the business that the park will generate.
Specialized Moving Australian HQ
Specialized Australia is moving from their home of the past four years on Williamstown Road Port Melbourne, back to their previous headquarters.
Their current site has been acquired by the government to build a school. Amazingly, their previous office in the historic former headquarters of General Motors on Salmon St Port Melbourne has sat empty for all four years and still has Specialized’s original fit out intact.