Regional Victoria will have even more amazing tourist attractions for people to visit with exciting local projects getting off the ground thanks to the Allan Labor Government.

Member for Ripon Martha Haylett, along with Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards today welcomed $400,000 in funding towards the Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail, as part of the Labor Government’s Enabling Tourism Fund 2024.

The Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail Pre-Construction Project will seek to prepare the way for the design and construction of a shared-use recreation trail on the disused rail corridor between Castlemaine and Maryborough.

The trail will connect the towns and communities of Guildford, Newstead, Moolort and Carisbrook and link them and the region's attractions to a large regional, national and international tourism market.

The trail will creatively transform disused land, bring economic renewal, better land management and social dividends to several major communities, while adding a connecting link to Victorians wider trail network.

The State Labor Government are investing $400,000 towards this project as well as contribution from Community Bank Maryborough (Bendigo Bank) donating $20,000, along with local councils and CMRT fundraising.

This project is one of 29 new infrastructure projects across the state’s regional and rural areas benefiting from the Enabling Tourism Fund 2024.

The Enabling Tourism Fund is part of a $170 million investment to create more local jobs, support our important tourism businesses and attract more people to the incredible experiences on offer across regional Victoria.

The grants of up to $500,000 will support regional tourism projects to reach investment-ready status by funding feasibility studies and designing future infrastructure.

The Fund is helping strengthen and grow Victoria’s tourism industry and is a key part of the Labor Government’s Experience Victoria 2033 strategic plan. The plan outlines five priority areas that leverage Victoria’s competitive advantages – including First Peoples’-led experiences, Wellness, Arts and Culture, Food and Drink, and Nature.

All projects awarded funding under the Enabling Tourism Fund demonstrate alignment with these priorities.

To see a complete list of the Enabling Tourism Fund projects, tourism.vic.gov.au/grants-and-support/enabling-tourism-fund

Quotes attributable to Member for Ripon Martha Haylett

“This is a huge step forward for the Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail Project that will benefit a huge part of our region.”

“Creating new and exciting projects like this will go a long way to strengthening our region’s world-class tourism offering and making sure we have a strong local economy into the future.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards

"Congratulations to the Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail volunteer team for their behind the scenes work to get to this stage. Their vision is one step closer.”

“This project would be an economic driver for the region, and I’m really proud to see the Allan Labor Government is backing the next stage with this investment.”