Background
The Australian Government granted the Derwent Valley Council just over $500,000 to complete the community engagement, economic analysis, planning work and design work required to identify the specific future needs of the communities of Maydena, Plenty, Hayes, Bushy Park, Glenora, Westerway and National Park.
The focus of the grant is to identify a catalytic project that will connect the townships of the Upper Derwent Valley while creating and building partnerships. Under the program guidelines, this project had to be identified through the development of a precinct plan supported by extensive community engagement.
Council’s goal has been to understand how to improve connectivity, support the growth of tourism and the regional economy, and contribute to the social infrastructure of the Upper Derwent Valley.
Upper Derwent Valley Precinct Plan
Following two rounds of community engagement and Council endorsement at the April 2026 Council Meeting, the final Upper Derwent Valley Precinct Plan (the Plan) is now available.
Upper Derwent Valley Precinct Plan
The Plan is a high-level, long-term strategic document that provides a coordinated framework to strengthen the resilience and prosperity of the Valley’s communities. It brings together local aspirations, regional strategies and state level policy directions to guide land use, infrastructure investment, environmental protection, collaboration and decision-making across the Valley over the coming decades.
The Plan establishes a shared vision for the future of the Upper Derwent Valley: one that supports connected townships, healthy communities and sustainable tourism, while safeguarding the Valley’s unique landscapes, heritage and way of life.
The development of the Plan has been informed by Tasmania’s broader planning context to ensure alignment with relevant state-wide objectives, legislation, policies and strategies. In addition, the consultant consortium has prepared a suite of supporting documents, currently undergoing final revisions, which have informed the development of the Upper Derwent Valley Precinct Plan alongside community and stakeholder engagement:
- Settlement Framework 2025–2055
- Social Infrastructure Strategy 2025–2055
- Economic Development Strategy 2025–2055
- Upper Derwent Valley Engagement Summary
Further to these documents, a Connection to Country Framework 2025–2055 was developed under the federal rPPP grant as a guide for good practice to help responses to Country when planning, designing and/or delivering built environment projects. The Framework outlines how the Derwent Valley Municipality can better connect to Country through built environment projects. The available document is still in Draft form as it is yet to be endorsed by Council.
The Priority Project: Upper Derwent Valley Multi-Use Trail
In line with the rPPP program guidelines, the Precinct Plan identifies a major project that can unlock future investment and partnerships across the Upper Derwent Valley, which also connects the entire precinct and catalyses growth across several domains.
The project identified through this process is a multi-use path along the rail corridor. The Upper Derwent Valley multi-use trail would create a continuous, safe and off-road link along the rail corridor, improving access between townships and key destinations. It responds directly to limited transport choice, unsafe rural roads and a lack of local walking and cycling options. The trail also supports visitor dispersal, local business growth and access for people who cannot drive.
The Derwent Valley Rail Trail Feasibility Study endorsed by Council at the August 2026 Council Meeting confirms that the full corridor presents a long-term opportunity to transform the underutilised public rail corridor into a connected community, recreation and visitor economy asset for the Upper Derwent Valley.
Next Steps
Council’s next step is to use the Precinct Plan and associated strategies and frameworks to guide the feasibility and design of the multi-use path along the rail corridor.
Have questions? Frequently asked questions answered HERE