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Beyond the Trail: Building Stronger Communities Through Sustainable Mountain Biking
Today, Outdoors NSW & ACT is proud to release its Mountain Biking Toolkit for Local Government — a practical resource helping councils turn mountain biking opportunities into lasting environmental, economic and social benefits.
What makes a successful mountain biking destination?
Is it the number of kilometres of trails? The quality of the riding experience? The visitors it attracts? Or the contribution it makes to the local community?
We believe the answer is much broader than any one of these measures.
The real success of mountain biking lies in its ability to bring together healthy communities, thriving local economies and sustainable natural environments.
And today, we're taking another step towards helping local governments realise that opportunity.
From the Mountain Bike Manifesto to practical action
Our new Mountain Biking Toolkit for Local Government builds on the work of the Mountain Bike Manifesto and the conversations that emerged from the 2024 Mountain Bike Symposium.
Those discussions highlighted both the enormous potential of mountain biking and the challenges faced by councils, land managers and communities trying to navigate its growth.
Mountain biking is evolving rapidly. New riding disciplines, e-bikes, adaptive mountain biking and growing interest in trail-based tourism are creating new opportunities, but also new planning and management considerations.
Councils are increasingly being asked to respond to community demand, consider new facilities, manage informal trails and assess potential tourism investment.
Yet the pathway forward isn't always clear.
That's where this toolkit comes in.
It combines academic research with practical guidance to help councils understand the opportunities, assess their readiness, work with stakeholders and make informed decisions.
The three dimensions of sustainable mountain biking
The timing of today's release is particularly relevant.
This week, the World Trails Conference is being held in Perth, the Australian Regional Tourism Convention in Busselton, and Sea Otter Australia in Mogo, NSW, all together bringing important conversations to the forefront: sustainable trail development and the future of regional tourism.
Mountain biking connects both, but we believe there is a third equally important element — community wellbeing.
Environmental sustainability
Responsible mountain biking development starts with understanding the landscape.
That means considering environmental sensitivities, cultural heritage, trail design, drainage, erosion, land management and the ongoing impacts of recreational use.
It also means involving Traditional Custodians and relevant stakeholders early and ensuring that trail infrastructure is appropriate for the environment in which it sits.
Economic sustainability
Mountain biking can make an important contribution to regional visitor economies.
Visitors may spend money on accommodation, hospitality, bike services, retail, events and other local experiences.
However, the economic opportunity needs to be balanced with the cost of developing, operating and maintaining infrastructure.
A strong business case considers the whole lifecycle of an investment, not simply the cost of construction.
Social sustainability
Mountain biking is also about people.
It can create places where young people develop confidence, families spend time together, individuals improve their health and communities build stronger connections.
Inclusive and accessible opportunities, including adaptive mountain biking where appropriate, can help broaden participation. And importantly, these benefits aren't limited to major tourism destinations.
A local pump track, skills area or modest trail network may deliver significant community value.
What riders are telling us
Research insights from mountain biking participants provide a useful perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
Mountain biking supports active lifestyles.
Of our 2026 survey respondents, 60% reported riding between 11 and 30 hours per month. That's approximately three to eight hours each week spent participating in physical activity.
While these findings don't directly measure health outcomes, they demonstrate the potential contribution mountain biking can make to active lifestyles.
It's also a social activity.
An impressive 88% indicated that they ride with friends or family.
This reinforces the importance of looking beyond individual participation and recognising mountain biking as an opportunity for social connection, shared experiences and community engagement.
Education and responsible participation matter.
When asked what the public needs to know about mountain biking, respondents identified three key priorities:
81% – Etiquette on shared trails.
72% – Trail maintenance and stewardship.
58% – Sustainability and the environment.
These findings are particularly relevant to local government.
They demonstrate that successful mountain biking development is not simply about providing infrastructure. It also requires education, responsible participation, collaboration and a shared commitment to protecting the places where people ride.
Our Mountain Biking Toolkit helps councils consider these broader responsibilities as part of planning and managing mountain biking opportunities.
Not every council needs a major trail destination
One of the key messages in the toolkit is that mountain biking should be designed to meet local needs. There is no single solution that works for every community.
Some councils may be considering their first pump track. Others may be managing existing informal trails or exploring opportunities to develop regional tourism experiences.
The toolkit helps councils consider the right scale and type of infrastructure based on community demand, environmental suitability, available resources and long-term objectives.
It also encourages councils to look beyond infrastructure alone.
What role could mountain biking play in youth engagement? How might it contribute to local health and wellbeing? Could it strengthen the visitor economy or support better management of existing recreational activity?
These are the questions that should shape investment decisions.
Turning good intentions into good outcomes
The toolkit provides practical guidance on:
Understanding different mountain biking disciplines and participation needs.
Assessing council readiness and community demand.
Planning environmentally appropriate and inclusive trail experiences.
Managing risk, safety and ongoing maintenance.
Engaging Traditional Custodians, riders, land managers and communities.
Developing partnerships, governance arrangements and funding pathways.
Building business cases that recognise economic, environmental and social outcomes.
It also includes practical checklists and templates that councils can use when exploring new projects or reviewing existing infrastructure. The intention is to make the planning process more accessible and support confident, evidence-based decision-making.
A shared responsibility for long-term success
Successful mountain biking projects rely on partnerships.
Councils, clubs, volunteers, trail builders, Traditional Custodians, land managers, businesses and tourism organisations all bring valuable perspectives. But good partnerships also require clarity about responsibilities.
Trail networks are community assets that need ongoing care, inspection, maintenance and investment. Volunteer clubs make an extraordinary contribution, but their commitment should be recognised and supported through sustainable governance and management arrangements.
If we want mountain biking infrastructure to deliver long-term value, we need to plan for its future from the beginning.
Looking beyond the trail
At Outdoors NSW & ACT, we see mountain biking as part of a much bigger conversation about the value of outdoor recreation. It's about creating opportunities for people to connect with nature, improving community wellbeing, supporting regional prosperity and ensuring that our natural environments are responsibly managed.
With the World Trails Conference, the Australian Regional Tourism Convention and Sea Otter Australia taking place this week, there has never been a better time to bring these conversations together.
Our message to councils is simple:
Start with the outcomes you want for your community,
not simply the infrastructure you want to build.
Because the greatest legacy of a mountain biking project isn't necessarily the trail itself.
It's the healthier communities, stronger local economies and sustainable outdoor experiences it helps create.
Download the Toolkit
Whether you're a councillor, council planner, tourism professional, land manager or mountain biking advocate, we encourage you to explore the resource and share it with those shaping the future of outdoor recreation in your community.
Outdoors NSW & ACT would like to thank its Mountain Bike Committee for their work on this important resource: Dr Tracey Dickson, Joshua Bridson, Naomi Kilby, Nick Rendell, Rowan Lamont and Joe Mullen.
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