The long-discussed plan for a cycleway between Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads has hit a pothole, with an independent report finding a raft of issues with the preferred route.
Local cyclists have been calling for a safe, separated bike path between Mullum and Bruns for decades, with the current route requiring a hair-raising ride along Gulgan Road as cars fly by at 80 km/h.
Following a survey testing the community’s appetite for different routes, Council sought further investigation for a scenic path, heading north out of Mullum along the rail corridor, and then east through backroads and private property to Brunswick Valley Way.
But an investigation into this option by private consultants Burchills found that while it would be ‘an attractive off-road’ route, it had more holes than an old inner tube.
As a result, Council staff have recommended that Council shift its focus to a less scenic but more practical path, known as ‘Option 2’ that mainly runs adjacent to existing roads.
Among the major hills and hurdles faced by Option 1, according to Burchills, is the fact that it runs through the edge of a piece of private property.
Koala impacts?
The owner of the land in question does not support their land being used, saying it would disturb their peaceful enjoyment of the natural environment, and involve the unwashed masses trespassing on their land.
Burchills also found that the proposed route had the potential to impact koala habitat and ‘high environmental vegetation’ that could prevent the project from proceeding, and could face potential flooding issues.
Finally, it was found that the topography for certain parts of the route was not ideal, requiring cyclists to negotiate grades of more than 10 per cent along two sections of the alignment.
‘There is no doubt this section of the preferred route is heavily constrained by private property, environmental overlays, and topography generally unsuitable for a cycleway,’ Burchills concluded.
They recommended that Council give greater attention to Option 2, which heads out of town on-road via Mullumbimby Road then takes a turn inland towards Hambly Rd, through sugar cane fields directly to Henderson Lane and Saddle Road.
Council staff agreed, recommending that Councillors vote to pursue this course when they vote on the matter at next week’s meeting.
They have recommended that Council support designs being prepared for an off-road separated cycleway between Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads along Mullumbimby Road and Gulgan Road.
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