- Funding improves access to hiking and trail running activities to help get more Western Australians outdoors
- Improved fitness, mental wellbeing and community engagement provided through 12 projects
- The 2024-25 WA Hiking Participation Grants Program delivers more than $250,000 to bring trails to life
Western Australians looking to experience nature and escape paved roads and footpaths will soon have more opportunities made possible by Western Australian Government funding aimed at getting Western Australians hiking and trail running.
The latest round of the WA Hiking Participation Grants Program will see $252,168 provided to 12 projects designed to encourage people of all ages and cultures to safely go off the beaten track.
The program aims to increase entry level supervised opportunities for bushwalking and the increasingly popular sport of trail running with organised races over varying distances.
Administered by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, the latest round of grants includes an introduction to trail running, funding for a hiking festival in the Perth Hills, a program for youth using hiking to promote positive mental health and a series of four experiences exploring the Wadjemup Bidi trail network on Rottnest Island.
The recipients of the 2024-25 WA Hiking Participation Grants Program are:
- Break the Boundary Inc- $24,950 forTrailblazers: Advancing Adaptive Hiking in WA;
- City of Armadale- $21,481 forSpring Steps 2024;
- City of Belmont- $10,000 forGarvey Park: Urban Trail Discovery;
- City of Kalamunda- $19,498 forHiking is for Every Body;
- Co-Exist Australia Ltd- $25,000 forStride and Thrive: Empowering Perth Youth through Hiking;
- Gold Region Tourism Organisation Inc (TA Australia's Golden Outback)- $15,000 forMonth of Hiking;
- HikeWest Inc- $24,280 forFamily Hiking Program;
- Nature Play WA- $24,200 forTrails Leadership Program;
- Perth Region Tourism Organisation Inc- $25,000 forPerth Hills Travelling Trails Festival;
- Rottnest Foundation Inc- $25,000 forWadjemup Bidi Trail Discovery Program;
- Shire of Murray- $18,139 forGuided Endurance Hikes; and
- Trails WA Inc- $19,620 forIntro to Trail Running Series.
For more information on the WA Hiking Participation Grants Program: https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/WAHPGP
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
"There are so many imaginative and exciting projects in these latest grants and here in Western Australia we are lucky there are nature trails and bushland just a short drive away for many of us.
"Through programs like this we are encouraging people of all ages and abilities to connect with nature though hiking and bushwalking and use that time to disconnect from our busy lives.
"These outdoor activities are much more than great fun and building physical fitness and we should not underestimate the importance of the benefits of being outdoors.
"The WA Hiking Participation Grants Program enables more communities to access trails every year, highlighting the importance of the program in WA."
