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Mountain Bike Trail for Western Sydney Regional Park
I emailed Western Sydney Regional Park last week, suggesting an xc competition track would be a good idea. They supplied me with contact details of the director of the Western Sydney Parklands trust, and indicated that a proposal for an mtb track would be considered in terms of the "forward capital works plan".
For those who are not familiar with the Western Sydney Parklands, it is a huge area located close to the M7, including remnant bushland at Prospect and former farmland. The land includes hills and gullies and has all the ingredients for a great xc track, as well as space for dj or 4x.
Moutain biking is included in the plan of management of the park and the idea of a community driven facillity could sit very nicely with the trust. The olympic xc facility was located at the park, but it never gained community support (probably because of the entry fee).
The time seems just right at the moment and it is feasible that we could end up with a great facillity in the park.
Over the next couple of weeks I will be making a submission to the trust. However this is a new thing for me and I dont have a lot of resourses to put something together.
Has anyone else put together any type of proposal, and have access to statistics etc which would be useful to include?
Any help would be appreciated, I am sure all of Sydney will benefit from another facillity.
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I could not see them building sweet trails & not charge a usage fee?, it will be in Sydney right!
We have to accept this. A trail centre where the riders pay to use the facilities works in the UK very nicely. In return, the riders want and ought to get the following;
a 24 hour, all weather facility that's safe ie no dickheads waiting in ambush in the dead of night
lockers,toilets and showers
car parking
reasonably close to a train station
a selection of trail types and skill levels
Australia can do this. The users should be happy to pay either per use or annual subscription. This is the future of having well managed trails within our urban sprawl.
Think Stromlo. If I had to pay to use it I would. If I lived in Canberra I'd get a lot of value for my subscription. As it is whenever I ride there I have shower before the long drive home. Go there on a sunny weekend and the carpark is full, the crit circuit and the mtb trails are busy and and so is the 4X track. This is what the locals are doing. And I've never seen any dickheads. Never heard of any safety issues ever.
Embrace this people. It's all good.
up similar to Mt Annan Botanical gardens . You pay $9.00 to use the park & the mountainbike facility is there too , with toilets & places for the kids & mum to enjoy themselves with bbq's to cook them lovely snags & enjoy the beer to go with a perfect day
Hi Al and all,
Funny you should mention Western Sydney Parklands! A few of us went to their Sport & Recreation Workshop on 29 June - which was part of their stakeholder consultation leading up to a new Plan of Management later this year.
This workshop was attended by cricket, soccer, shooting, equestrian and about 6 cycling reps (3 of which were MTB). There was general agreement among all representatives that western Sydney needed more sports facilities. It was pointed out that Sydnet now has no XC race venue withing one hour's drive of the CBD. The vastly different situation to Canberra was high lighted.
Following the workshop we put together a submission which has been sent to WPT. It would be good to get any general support of this submission by further emails to WSP. I can send a copy of the submission to other interested riders if the contact me on [email protected]
Once the draft Plan of Mangement is on exhibition for comment, we will certainly need a lot of support to make certain that MTB is catered for.
regards,
Ray Rice
XC VP WSMTB
[email protected]
Thanks Ray,
Thats great that the club has made a submission, and we all look forward to seeing how it fits in the new POM.
As you mentioned it is an hours drive to get to the only xc race venue in Sydney. The great thing about WSP is that it has very good cycle access meaning less car trips carrying bikes to the venue. Also, cycle access means the local kids would get even greater benefit from the facillity.
In an ideal world I could see something like the Lysterfield park facillity - mtb hire, sales and repairs along with a cafe at the trail. Trailmix provides a focus for the mtb activities, and being a viable business removes the cost of providing information services.
I will make a submission to the parklands trust. Given the club has already made a submission I dont think I will need too much detail.
Then we have to be poised ready to letter write once the POP is on exhibition for comment.
Cheers,
Al
Good news guys, you can expect a great deal of support and solidarity from BMORC in conjunction with WSMTB in any letter campaign or the like as required, it will be good to see the Olympic Mountain bike course preserved, I toiled with Glen Jacobs and Rick Boyer on that course and have many fond memories.
what is BMORC
= Blue Mountains Off Road Cyclists
thanks
Just to follow up on this, the draft Plan of Management (PoM) document is now out and is open for comment until November 10.
The plan can be downloaded here, and any comments also left on this page:
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/parkmanagement...
After a brief scan of the document it seems pretty open ended and it looks like with the right support a provision for a decent MTB track wouldn't be out of the question.
Good on you mate and thanks for getting the ball rolling on this one. I for one would be very interested in this track it was ever built. kristina keneally has been big on making road bike tracks around the city, hopefully she can support some mtb tracks as well.
I honestly wouldnt mind paying to use a good track either. However in saying that we do pay tax!
Live nearby ride the existing trails a couple of times a week. The area has great potential.Many moons ago you were able to ride the old Olympics trail which was controlled by Calmsley Hill City Farm,there was a fee and you could ride all day. For some stupid reason the trail was closed down and a great opportunity for a tourist hub for MTB riders to enjoy had been squandered . I see the London Olympics Trail is being promoted exactly that way to attract riders from all over the world.
Hi all,
Just an update on progress at WSP. WSMTB and NSWMTB and others met with WSP in mid September 2012 to outline what would be needed for an MTB event track, and also to look at three potential areas. They have engaged Dirtz Traxn Trailz to report on the options - and put forward a preferred option and draft plan. This will then go for approval - and then hopefully construction.
It's now not a matter of IF the Western Sydney Parklands will have an MTB track - but WHEN. They are keen to proceed.
This is real progress! (we have been meeting with them since August 2009). We are staying in touch with WSP.
Ray Rice
XC VP WSMTB
will be a shorter drive/ride when visiting the inlaws(outlaws) in SW Sydney than the hour drive to Manly Dam or the Royal NP.
Are there any new developments in relation to this proposed trail. Keen on any news because just been informed my favorite trail at the grove is being closed down.
Hi all,
Progress is being made - but probably a bit slower than what I thought earlier this year. Design work is well underway, but there are a lot of details around the trail head to cover off (eg parking, road access, facilities etc).
At a meeting on Monday 1 July with Minister for Environment, Robyn Parker, she indicated that it would be completed this Financial Year (2013-14).
WSMTB has offered to run an event there at the grand opening. I think a 4 Hour would be great.
Ray Rice
XC VP WSMTB
We appreciate the prompt response and lets us know if help is required.