Sustainability & Resilience Working Group
Barcaldine Regional Council has been selected as one of six regions from across Queensland to be part of the Clean Growth Choices program. The Clean Growth Choices program aims to help councils and communities to grow their resilience and sustainability.
As an initiative created and funded by the State Government in conjunction with the University of Southern Queensland, CSIRO and James Cook University Australia, the Barcaldine Region is in a prime position to capitalise on this unique opportunity for our entire community.
Blue Derby Tasmania
The story of Derby is one of a kind - there is no other place that encompasses such history and economic turnaround:
- Derby is a small town in Tasmania built on the back of agriculture and mining. When the logging and mining stopped so did the town with the population soon dwindling from 3,000 to 173
- In 2015 Dorset & Break O Day Council’s, State and Federal Governments came together to find a solution to slow depopulation, diversify their economy and attract and retain young people.
- Dorset Council engaged Glen Jabobs, world renown mountain bike trail designer, to design and build over 125km of purpose-built mountain bike trails with options to suit all skill levels
- The philosophy behind Derby was simple - build them and they will come and come they did, from being the first Australian mountain bike trails to host the World Enduro Series in 2017 and playing host again October 2018 and for Round 2 March 2019. Derby has well and truly been put on the map.
- Trails are open 365 days a year with no park passes or cost to ride. Thanks to the trails Derby is now experiencing a 4/4.5 nights average stay, on average people are coming to Tassie for 10 days and half of that is being spent in Derby, and, three years ago there was an average 15 housing sales for $1.5m p.a., last year there were 30 sales for $8.5m.
“It has generated 100+ jobs in the community through private business expansion on the back of council providing this infrastructure with 1000’s of tourists now coming to Derby as a result”. Tim Watson General Manager - Dorset Council Tasmania
Barcaldine Regional Council is working with Barcaldine School Leaders and Tim Watson from Blue Derby to take this model and evolve it for outback conditions. Put simply replace mountain bikes with motorbikes and Glen Jacobs with our own Rod Faggotter and offer a world class purpose built motorbike tourism experience.
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Sustainability
Sustainability - Update 2 Option 1