Toyota announced on Sunday that it will contribute $1.8 million towards a pedestrian and bike trail that will eventually link the Coastal Trail at Altona’s Cherry Lake to the Federation Trail at Brooklyn.
Toyota Australia president Dave Buttner said the company wanted to leave a legacy after it ceased manufacturing at Altona in 2017.
“Toyota values its partnership with the local community in Hobsons Bay, which dates back to 1977,” he said.
Toyota is funding a section of the path from Altona North to Brooklyn.
The announcement, made at a National Tree Day event on Sunday, is a step towards the realisation of a 15-year dream for Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek president Geoff Mitchelmore.
Mr Mitchelmore said he hoped Altona would eventually be connected to Caroline Springs along the Kororoit Creek corridor.
“I’ve been involved with Toyota through their community liaison committee for many years … they respected that and then they asked me what I wanted,” he said.
“I said, ‘look, I want a bit of concrete put down’, so that that would make people start to think about the shared trail.
“They said, ‘we don’t want to put a little bit, we want to put a lot”.
“Once that’s done, that will generate interest by the government to help us fund the final bit, and all of Altona North will then be linked to the Federation Trail and the full Kororoit Creek trail to Caroline Springs.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Colleen Gates said the council wanted to complete the trail over the next decade.
Last Sunday, residents joined people from Toyota, the friends group, council, Melbourne Water, industry and business to plant more than 2000 indigenous plants at Harris Reserve.
