After 25 years trying, Geoff Mitchelmore’s dream of a path connecting Hobsons Bay to the Melbourne CBD and the rest of the city’s shared path network, looks about to be fulfilled.
Last week the federal government committed $5 million from its active transport fund towards the completion of stages four and five of the Kororoit Creek Trail, the missing link in Mr Mitchelmore’s shared path dream.
“It’s a fantastic result for the community,” he said of the funding, which will allow for the construction of a trail from the Barnes Road Bridge in Altona North through to Cherry Lake in Altona.
“It will go through an already prepared urban forest area and then on an elevated board walk between Koroit Creek Road and Cherry Lake,” said Mr Mitchelmore of stages four and five of which are expected to be finished by the end of the year.
It represents a remarkable turnaround for Mr Mitchelmore and the Friends of Lower Koroit Creek organisation he is president of.
“Twenty-five years ago our vision was this trail to be complete, but by 2017. Friends of Lower Kororiot Creek had given up all hope of it ever happening,” he said.
“But in 2017 Toyota gave $2.5 million to do a section of the path and that stimulated the West Gate Tunnel to do a stage of the path and now the federal government through the active transport fund are allowing us to complete the trail,” said Mr Mitchelmore who thanked Gellibrand MP Tim Watts for helping secure the funding needed to finish the project.
The only thing left for 84-year-old Mr Mitchelmore now, is to ensure he survives long enough to use the completed trail himself.
“I wanna live long enough to take my wheelchair out there.”
Cade Lucas
