CONSTRUCTION on three new walking and biking trails at the National Arboretum are expected to be completed by month’s end. 

The trail will cost $140,000 and run from the Village Centre to points of interest at the Arboretum, including the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park, the “Wide Brown Land” sculpture, the Himalayan cedar forest and Dairy Farmers Hill.

“The STEP trail will be an easy 600-metre track which takes visitors to a regional botanic garden and a small outdoor meeting and picnic space. A 244-metre long return loop trail will link the STEP to the Himalayan cedar trail,” says TAMS Minister Shane Rattenbury.

“The Himalayan cedar trail will be a moderate 825-metre trail taking visitors to the majestic tall trees of the nearly 100-year-old Himalayan cedar forest. The trail will also lead to the picnic and barbeque deck nestled within the forest, which offers spectacular views of Black Mountain and Lake Burley-Griffin.

“The Dairy Farmers Hill trail will be a moderate one-kilometre trail weaving through forests of rare and endangered trees to a lookout featuring panoramic views over Canberra and “Nest III”, a huge outdoor sculpture of a wedge tail eagle and its nest. New signage will be installed with information on trails locations and lengths.”