07/07/2026
WMTBC statement on unauthorised activities at Thunder Point:
WMTBC is extremely disappointed that the unauthorised track and jumps building at Thunder Point has resulted in the destruction of vegetation and destroyed the flow of some of the existing approved trails. It has also compromised the safety of all trail users.
The club’s disappointment is exacerbated as it has provided many hundreds of volunteer hours in the past to meet all of the red tape requirements just to maintain the existing trail network, despite mountain biking being supported in Warrnambool City Council’s plan for recreation and sporting activities. The club used its own funds some years ago with agreement of agency officials for a trail audit of the Thunder Point trail network to guide developments.
WMTBC has worked extremely hard over many years as a volunteer club to obtain and maintain a licenced mountain bike trail network, complete with signage and mapping. The club has responsibly managed some big dollar w**d removal, preservation and revegetation projects over past years, such as Green Army and Coastcare. The club has acted proactively since it’s inception in 2007 to preserve Aboriginal cultural heritage and protect against vegetation destruction.
But it raises the wider issue of the future of the Thunder Point area for mountain biking. The illegal trail building highlights the need for proper and constructive development. It highlights the need for appropriate mountain biking infrastructure as exists in many other regional locations, such as Forrest, Harcourt and Creswick to name a few.
The illegal works highlight that there is a distinct demand for mountain biking facilities, and especially by younger riders, that needs to be constructively addressed.
Also, the club is frustrated by the distinct lack of progress on the reinstatement of trails that were taken away by the recent Wannon Water expansion. This should have been finalised before revegetation of the area, which we understand has now commenced. Given the extent of vegetation removed by Wannon Water, it would have been expected that more significant dialogue would have been undertaken with WMTBC as a major stakeholder. It seems to the club that Wannon Water wishes to minimise their spending in relation to any trail reinstatement and does not value the community it serves.
The Committee
Warrnambool Mountain Bike Club Inc
7 July 2026
