FAQs

At the October 2021 Ordinary Meeting, Council endorsed the Jarrahdale Trail Town Business Case, which included a 10-year implementation. The Implementation Plan presented a range of recommendations and priorities, to support the Shire to achieve Trail Town accreditation for Jarrahdale.

A Trail Town is a population centre which has been assessed and accredited as a destination for its trails offering, including:

• Trails (single or mixed use);
• Outdoor experiences that encourage extended visitation;
• Trail-user related facilities and services (including accommodations);
• Trail-related businesses; and
• Trail branding and signage.

Jarrahdale has existing marketable trail-related assets and is in a position to capitalise on its well-established equine trail network, to offer a unique trail experience at a regional and national levels. 

Its proximity to the CBD has established Jarrahdale as a popular tourism destination for weekenders seeking a gateway to nature. Additional attractions include a fresh food market (access to local produces), fine dining, guided heritage and cultural tours, wellbeing and fitness classes, as well as regular activation activities and events throughout the year. 

Investing in the natural attractions of Jarrahdale will also benefit the Shire townships, contributing to its growth and liveability. Job creation, additional infrastructure and services are few of the tangible outcomes to be expected.

In 2016, nature-based tourism contributed to $23 billion to the Australian economy, with 68% of international visitors engaged in some form of nature-based activity.

A global body of evidence shows that the provision of trails leads to multiple benefits that include:

• Economic stimulus of local economies, including with business and employment opportunities in trail development, management, maintenance, events and supporting products and services.
• Added value to nearby properties.
• Improve sustainability of local communities by making them more attractive places to live.
• Improve awareness and appreciation of the natural environment and support for its conservation and protection.
• Encourage more frequent outdoor activity leading to improved physical and mental wellbeing and a reduction in lifestyle diseases and associated medical costs.
• Provide recreation facilities.
• Facilitate social interaction and development of community identity through participation in trail activities, maintenance and conservation.

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At the core of all trail planning is satisfying a trail user’s desires for a specific type of trail experience. Whether for recreation, fitness, or commuting purposes, most trail users seek a fulfilling outdoor experience that does not harm the environment. To meet such needs for generations to come, three key complementary factors must underpin the trail planning, design and development:

• Ecological sustainability: minimising the ecological impacts of trails, especially in sensitive areas
• Physical sustainability: designing trails to retain their form over years of use and natural forces acting on them
• Engendering stewardship: fostering a sense of individual responsibility for stewardship

Guidelines for the implementation of the JTT are provided by:

• The Western Australian Strategic Trails Blueprint developed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 
• The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)

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Most trail users appreciate that access to trails is a privilege and that each has a responsibility to preserve that access through proper use. When trails are the most physically sustainable, they tend to be the most ecologically sustainable, and appealing to use. This, in turns, encourages trail users to use trails appropriately and take personal responsibilities for stewardship to ensure continue access. A sense of individual responsibility for stewardship is fostered when trail users:

• Use trails in an appropriate manner
• Avoid impacts to surroundings ecological systems
• Educate others about sustainable ethics and practices

Since people protect what they value, stewardship can only be engendered when trails are designed with a full understanding of a visitor’s motivations for using them.

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Different visitors and user groups will have varying definitions of what makes a good trail experience. But most would agree that the trail itself is only an aspect of the experience! 

How accessible and useful was the information provided online while planning the weekend trip? Did signage make it easy to find the carpark, the nearby toilets, the trailhead? Were there other things to do, like going on a cultural tour, or seeing an exhibition of local crafts? Were there food outlets selling local produces? Were the meat pie and the flat white delicious?

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To provide a certain level of services and amenities for trail users, businesses must understand these market segments, and being able to answer: what are the motivators and needs? A good starting point is to talk to the Jarrahdale Trail Coordinator who will be able to inform, guide and share relevant contacts (see Who's listening section). 

The Trail Friendly Business scheme developed by Western Australia lead trail agency Trails WA, is supported by the Shire, as it offers strong exposure to businesses, as well as unique opportunities to reach target customers more easily.

© The Life Of Py 2022