Amy Gillett Bikeway

Sa Best Talk about the Amy Gillett Bikeway

SA Best speak to Mary Safe about completing the Amy Gillett Bikeway.
A world class bikeway linking Mt Barker and premier recreational track the Amy Gillett Bikeway is the standout item in SA-BEST’s vision for interconnected bikeways in the Adelaide Hills that will increase safety and boost jobs and tourism.

SA-BEST’s candidate for Kavel, Andrew Stratford, said the party would also push for the completion of the Amy Gillett Bikeway along with a feasibility study into linking Mount Barker’s linear track at Littlehampton to Balhannah and Oakbank, giving cyclists, joggers and walkers safe and direct access to the Amy Gillett Bikeway.

“Together, they would give South Australians a 40km cycling and walking corridor through some of the most picturesque country in the Adelaide Hills,” Andrew said.

Andrew Stratford said the bikeway would be one of the conditions negotiated with a new government if the party secured the balance of power at the March 17 election.

“The plan begs to be developed,” Andrew said.

“The Amy Gillett Bikeway has been successful from the start and it’s a shame that the state government left it unfinished.

“It’s opened up a series of small towns to cyclists, joggers, walkers and even those in wheelchairs, who explore the region in safety and who peel off the track to explore towns, buy lunches and visit wineries, cheesemakers and chocolatiers of the region.

“It supports farmgate sales worth $15 million a year and helps create jobs while enabling people who come from all over the metropolitan and greater metropolitan areas to enjoy their recreational time pursuing healthy activities that have a low impact on the hills environment.

“But there is so much more potential. Many – particularly cyclists – have said that they would come more often if it provided them with a longer ride.”

Only three of five stages of the walking and bike trail, named after the internationally successful cyclist and Olympic rower Amy Gillett, tragically killed in a squad of Australian cyclists struck by motorist during road training in Germany in 2005, have been completed.

There currently is 17 kilometres of the bikeway project, which links Oakbank and Mt Torrens and passes through the Adelaide Hills communities of Woodside and Charleston along the old Mt Pleasant Railway corridor. Another 15 kilometres, linking Mt Torrens to Birdwood and Mt Pleasant, are needed to finish the project.

Amy Gillett’s mother, Mary Safe, said she and her husband Denis cycled along the bikeway regularly.

“It’s a beautiful legacy,” said Mary. “The landscape changes along the way from vineyards to pastures and bushland. It would be wonderful to see it completed to honour the memory of Amy.”

Andrew said it was likely the proposed Littlehampton link to the bikeway would follow the Amy Gillett Bikeway example by running in tandem with the old Steam Ranger Heritage Railway for a part of its route.

It’s a proposal suggested by Littlehampton resident Jeanelle Farmilo, a motorist and cyclist who fears for the life of cyclists riding on the Junction Road thoroughfare between Littlehampton and Balhannah which she describes as “extremely dangerous.”

Andrew said safety issues equally underpinned SA-BEST’s support for the link from Littlehampton to the Amy Gillett Bikeway which would also encourage cyclists to travel in the reverse direction all the way to Mt Barker.

“Unlike the Liberal’s plan for an Adelaide to Melbourne cycling thoroughfare this is practical and achievable,” said Andrew.

“The Liberal plan is fanciful, given they haven’t released any costings or said where the money is coming from, while Labor hasn’t even been able to find the funds to complete the Amy Gillett Bikeway, let alone do more.”

Community consultation into strategic bike planning undertaken by Adelaide Hills Council in 2015 revealed overwhelming support for completion of the bikeway.

“Even non-cyclists said they wanted the bikeway completed as priority, many saying that they wanted to see safer places created for children to learn to ride and build up their confidence before tackling busier roads,” Andrew said.

“If we are serious about tourism, recreation and creating a healthier community then we need to complete the job that was started and have the common sense to build on it.”general.

Follow the Links

Here for the Amy Gillett Foundation


Here for the offical Press Release from SA Best


Andrew Stratford on Facebook.