General News
21 September, 2026
Trail vision moves closer
THE long-running push to extend the Grampians Rail Trail from Stawell towards Halls Gap is continuing to gather momentum, with work beginning on a new entrance to the existing trail while supporters prepare for the next stages of the project.
Friends of Grampians Rail Trail has begun drainage and track works that will extend the existing route through to Federation Park, creating a more accessible starting point for walkers and cyclists.
The work is being funded through an $8803 Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal grant and follows the completion of a bridge over the Pleasant Creek culvert.
Once finished, the new connection will create an all-weather walking and cycling route from Federation Park, at the corner of Halls Gap Road and the Western Highway, for about 12 kilometres to Lake Lonsdale.
Friends of Grampians Rail Trail projects coordinator John Pye said bringing the trail into Federation Park would complete the Stawell to Lake Lonsdale section and provide a more obvious and practical starting point.
“This will complete the Stawell to Lake Lonsdale section of the Grampians Rail Trail,” he said.
“Starting at Federation Park where there is a toilet, BBQ and plenty of car parking will make the Grampians Rail Trail more accessible to locals and visitors.”
Wet conditions have temporarily prevented heavy machinery from completing the work, but the group expects the track to be finished during summer, followed by new signage and a public awareness campaign.
Meanwhile, attention is increasingly turning towards the much bigger ambition of extending the trail towards Halls Gap.
Mr Pye said the group was now working on a permit application for the extension while awaiting a decision on its $300,000 Western Renewables Link Local Grants Fund application, expected in December.
The application follows Northern Grampians Shire Council’s decision earlier this year to support the project and underwrite maintenance costs for the completed trail by up to $20,000 a year from June 2028.
At the time, Friends of Grampians Rail Trail vice-president Andrew Balmain described council’s commitment as a significant milestone after years of work by volunteers.
“By no means are we there yet,” he said.
“We’ve obviously hit a significant milestone, but now our attention turns to the grant application.”
The group is also looking beyond the current funding application and has begun scoping an additional stage between Blythewood and Fyans Creek roads.
Mr Pye said supporters planned to approach a philanthropic fund to determine whether it could help finance that section.
The Grampians Rail Trail follows the former Heatherlie railway corridor and began more than two decades ago as a Stawell Secondary College project led by Mr Pye, with students constructing significant sections of the route.
Volunteers have continued developing and maintaining the trail through grants, donations and community support.
Supporters ultimately want to create a continuous trail towards Halls Gap, linking Stawell with one of Victoria’s best-known tourism destinations through wetlands, conservation areas and sections offering views towards the Grampians.
Mr Pye has previously said completing that connection could transform what began as a school and community project into a significant regional tourism asset.
“If we get it to Halls Gap, that creates an iconic rail trail which will attract international visitors as well as a lot of domestic visitors,” he said.
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