Council’s Director of Transport and Utilities, Terry Dodds, said the state government’s $3million funding will be helped along with $120,000 for planning a cheaper approach with “alternative material”, such as permeable concrete.

“It usually costs around $71 per square metre of concrete path, but I reckon we can do it for half,” he said.

Mr Dodds met with Bega MP Andrew Constance and members of the Bega Tathra Safe Ride group on Friday to discuss the approach needed to make the track a reality.

“I didn’t think we would get $3million in one hit,” Mr Dodds said.

“We can’t call it a shared path, it must be a track, because we always over guild the lilly.

“At the end of the day it is to get people from A to B.”

Mr Dodds said some clever engineering would deal with the issue of 80 per cent of the track running along the road corridor.

“If we save money by being lateral in our thinking, we can then use that money to attract people to use it,” he said.

“If we don’t stick to a generic specification, then we can trial all these things.

“We can change a bureaucratic viewpoint on what makes a bike path.” 

Mr Dodds said council was also investigating the possibility of “growing their own” budget bridges from bamboo.

Bega MP and minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance, said the project will create an “iconic track for generations to come.”

Bega Tathra Safe Ride member Robert Hartemink said the track will create health and economic benefits for the region.

“I have to say Andrew Constance is a man of his word, he said he would do it,” he said.

“If we are allowed to incorporate his [Terry Dodds’] ideas, I think the allocated money will cover the whole track, if not there will be a shortfall.

“We will continue fundraising because there are lots of things we can do to make it a better experience for everyone.

Mr Hartemink said the project will also allow members of the community with electronic bikes to travel to and from the two towns in a far more sustainable way than other vehicles.