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A PROPOSED North-East bicycle trail has been stopped in its tracks just a kilometre from being finished.
The rail trail follows a long-defunct railway on Crown and forestry land from Tonganah to Legerwood for just under 25 kilometres.
Co-ordinated by the Rotary Club of Scottsdale, the club's president Athol Johnson said objections came towards the tail-end of the project from adjoining landowners near Tulendeena and Legerwood.
The landowners have formed a working group to oppose the trail, but have declined to make a comment.
``Some landowners say that it poses a threat to them and perhaps fetters the ability for them to use their land,'' Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson said he understood one landowner was concerned about theft, which he said had previously been blamed on trail bike riders.
``In the planning for this, we (Rotary) want to certainly stop the use of the trail by four-wheel vehicles and will try very hard to discourage the use by two-wheel motorcycles,'' he said.
``Generally, the people that tend to ride rail trails tend to be older people. They're not the thrill seekers.''
Last Monday, about 40 landowners met Dorset Council members, Northern Tasmanian politicians and tourism group advocates.
Dorset Mayor Barry Jarvis said the council had not been asked to be involved in the trail by either party, but was very aware of angst surrounding the project.
``The sentiment seemed to be that those landowners weren't going to budge . . . some owners were looking at trying to buy that freehold Crown land,'' Cr Jarvis said.
Tamar Bicycle Users Group president Malcolm Cowan said the group had supported Rotary in its efforts to build the trail.
Mr Cowan said a rail trail had a multitude of benefits for the region, including encouraging healthy activities, attracting interstate and international visitors and promoting environmentally friendly practice.
The trail was funded by $89,000 from the Tasmanian Community Fund, with $30,000 provided by the Rotary Club of Scottsdale through its own fund-raising.