Yarra Valley Trail sign

Yarra Valley Trail Update – December 2021

Projects delivered in 2021

Since opening in February 2020, the Yarra Valley Trail has seen increased use reporting a daily average of 635 visits, and over 100,000 visits per year. The trail is used by approximately 56% pedestrians, 39% cyclists and 5% horse riders.

Council has completed several projects this year and has plans for further works to be delivered in 2022. Projects completed in 2021 include:

  • Station Street Shared Path – a shared path connecting the Trail at Coldstream Station to the Coldstream Township and businesses such as the Coldstream Brewery and Yarra Valley Gateway Estate.
  • Beresford Road Hub – where the Yarra Valley and Lilydale-Warburton Trail meet.
  • Bird Watching Platform – A bird watching platform was installed overlooking the Lilydale Treatment Ponds, which provides a sanctuary for over 140 species of water bird. Bird information sign will soon be installed at the platform.
  • Rabbit fencing – installed to protect Yarra Gum woodland.
  • Drinking fountain – installed at Yering near McIntyre Road, and will be installed at various spots along the future stages of the trail.
  • Planting – planting in key areas along the trail.
A dog drinking from a water fountain

Upcoming projects

Key projects for 2022 (currently in the planning stages) include:

  • Station Street Pedestrian Bridge – the final stage of the Coldstream Town and Yarra Valley Trail connection will see a pedestrian footbridge constructed.
  • McIntyre Lane Pedestrian Refuge – A pedestrian refuge will be installed to support trail users to cross the road safely at McIntyre Road to the future Yering to Yarra Glen section of trail.
  • Nelson Road Shared Path – a concrete shared path to be constructed between the end of the existing Nelson Road Shared Path and the Lilydale-Warburton Trail at Anderson Street. The new path will connect the Yarra Valley Trail and the Lilydale BMX facility in Nelson Road as well as Mt Lilydale College, completing a connection to Lilydale Heights College.
  • Beresford Road Cycle Crossing – to boost the recreational tourist experience along the Lilydale-Warburton and Yarra Valley trails a range of crossing safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists are proposed at the Beresford Road section. This includes traffic calming pavement treatments, lighting, signage and landscaping to better signify the crossing point. The suburban revitalisation program is providing $250,000 of funding toward this project.
  • Cycle Centre Nodes – This pilot program will deliver convenient cycling infrastructure on major tourist trails to get more visitors on their bikes. The creation of a recognisable cycling centre branding icon for activity centres in the Yarra Ranges supports cycling through the provision of infrastructure such as bike repair and maintenance stations, drinking fountains, shelter, toilers, bike parking, charging points for electric bikes and mobile devices. The suburban revitalisation program is providing $390,000 in funding for this project and anticipated to be delivered in late 2022.
An overhead view of a wood proccessing facility at Coldstream station

Coldstream Station Activation

The next exciting project coming your way in 2022 is the Coldstream Station Activation Project. The Coldstream Station site has been temporarily transformed into a recovery site to process logs coming off the mountain from the June 2021 storms. The logs have been turned into mulch and has been spread across the municipality in preparation for planting. Due to be cleared to make way for the Coldstream Activation project.

Council was recently successful in receiving a grant of $539,680 through the State Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund towards the implementation of the draft Master Plan. The major component in the draft Master Plan is a pump track that would provide an activity space for young people in the area and provide an opportunity for younger children, families and Yarra Valley Trail visitors to enjoy riding at a level suitable to their skill level and experience.

The draft Coldstream Station Master Plan was developed after consultation with local sporting and community groups. The Master Plan includes several elements to activate this unused parcel of open space. This includes a sealed pump track, public toilets, shelter, secondary informal trails, lawn and treed areas and additional car parking.

On 12 October 2021, Council adopted the Master Plan and acknowledged their support for the progression of the project to the design and delivery phase.

Find out more about the Coldstream Station Master Plan on the Shaping Yarra Ranges website.

Digital map of trails in the Yarra Ranges

Plan your Journey

Use our interactive trails map to view some of our highlight trails in the region. The map contains information about our trails, including trail length and direction. Select a trail from the side tab to zoom in on a trail location. You can toggle the amenities you want to view through the legend key. Some of the key elements in the map are trails list, public toilet locations, trail car parks, cafes, wineries, parks and reserves.