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An example of collaboration, development and management - it can be done


Winco's picture

By Winco - Posted on 21 January 2012

I'm sitting here on the deck of our family beach house at Catherine Hill Bay (29km south of Glenrock & Newcastle) with a glass of wine typing this post reflecting on the thoroughly enjoyable ride I had early this Saturday morning at Glenrock State Conservation Area. I rode for 2 hours in all and was pretty bushed by the end of the ride. But what a great ride! It is nearly 18 months or so since I last rode here and the reason I'm writing this is to express to those who have yet to experience the goodness of Glenrock, and I'm referring here to management of NPWS Sydney Northern Region specifically, but I guess also to the broader MTB community as well, how really impressed I was with the collaborative work of the local NPWS, GTA volunteers and HMBA in regards to the care and work developing the trails here. 'Exceptional' would be one word I'd use. Full credit to those people involved if you read this post.

All trails are clearly / professionally signposted - graded Green, Blue and Black. Yes that's right. The same universally familiar iconography as used for winter sports has also been used here. You cannot get lost now which I did 18 months ago. There is a great trail map on a board by one of the trail heads within Gun Club Road and one can be downloaded from here or other websites (as I did) to take along with you. Trail names are also clearly indicated on the sign posts such as 'Kenny', 'Seuss Land', 'Snakes & Ladders', 'It Happens', Shaft, 'Seismic', 'Pump Action', Twisties, 'Double Barrel' (green = good for newbies), etc.

Strikingly, a lot of work has be undertaken to construct sustainable biking trails that seem to be enjoyed by runners and walkers as well as MTB riders alike as I rode along this sunny morning. The point of this post is to pose the question - why the same trail design principals cannot be approved and applied by the NPWS Sydney Northern Region to allow this type of recreational riding/walking/running within Garigal and Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Parks? Why can this be applied obviously successfully to one park area within NSW and not allowed to be carried through to others. It's inconsistent policy in my opinion.

From what I could see, riders, and there were many of them on the trails today, were sticking to the designated trails and didn't appear to endanger or destroy any flora or fauna in the process of their social pursuit which is often touted as a reason to exclude MTB single trail riding from national parks by various parties.

Interestingly, at the end of the ride as I recovered and brought my heart rate down to a reasonable level by the main directional/information board, I was approach by two people who were contracted by NPWS to take photos of the Glenrock trail network so they could be featured in the NPWS website as "it was lacking any meaningful visual content of MTB trails within national parks". Fair enough. Why they would want to take a shot of my crappy wheels was beyond me but hey, I didn't argue.

So it seems NPWS are keen to showcase and promote excellent MTB trails like Glenrock yet appear reluctant to facilitate the same 'best-of-breed' MTB trail development for regions like the Northern Beaches. Perhaps it's time for NPWS Sydney Northern Region management to pop up to Glenrock (if they have not already) to see what has been achieved by COLLABORATING WITH the community and to use this as an example of how positive these outcomes can be, when liaising with MTB objectionists.

So, is there something to be learnt here? Can Glenrock become an example/template? What do others reading this think/feel?

Off to ride Awaba and Ourimbah over the next couple of days. Yay!

Winco.

kand's picture

Can I suggest you share you coherent post with the folks at National Parks Sydney region.

K

hawkeye's picture

Forward to NPWS Sydney Region :thumbs up: and ask when are we going to see a start on Sydney's trails, seeing Manly Dam is being loved to death.

Simon's picture

Great post.

I am overdue giving everyone an update for Sydney North. Holidays etc getting in the way. There is a committee that mtb reps and various stakeholders (community and Councils) are on for developing new trails in our region. Mtb reps are from IMBA, Trail Care, clubs, NoBMoB, TAFE Sport and Rec.

Before Christmas mtb reps met with NPWS, other stakeholders on the commitee and the environmental consultant for a walk through at one of the proposed pilot study areas at Stringy Bark Ridge.

The walk through for Bantry Bay with the same group is coming up in early March.

I will give a full report soon and will put the meeting minutes up once they have been formally endorsed at the next meeting.

Currently out in Albury catching up with mate and his young toddler. Great trails here too, Council run with local volunteers. Great night ride last night. Again another great working example.

Hop fiend's picture

mines,coal dust,Orica chemical plant,earthquake & oh' NPWS singletrack-but Glenrock is being loved to death also!

pharmaboy's picture

you are right robbieo - there is easy double the number of riders maybe even triple since the promotion of trails, but still the same few volunteers to look after things. Sustainability is about design but also volume of riders. Bit ironic really.

CharlieB's picture

Arguably, this only highlights the need for additional resources, trails etc, as the excellent work with resultant improvement in the trails is encouraging more people to get out and ride. This is surely a good thing.

Interestingly, I also recently read an article highlighting how well Australia is going in competing globally in cycling across multiple disciplines, but lamented (fairly or not) how MTB has fallen behind.

Now putting those observations together, surely it is not beyond the realms of capabilities for Cycling Australia and the Minister for Sport to see a potential solution. Let’s face it as most sporting facilities go, ours is not exactly expensive. Worth noting Cycling Australia has no MTB under high performance – is this captured by another body, or, does it say it all?

hawkeye's picture

MTB was dropped recently from AIS high performance program, if I recall correctly. Sad

Ray R's picture

Thanks for that Winco - Glenrock is certainly a shining example of how things can and should be done. I'll certainly be using this in discussions with Hawkesbury Region NPWS over Yellomundee Regional Park - where BTW we have had progress on the Archaelogical Heritage Study, which must precede any sustainable track work.

Also (for CharlieB), the responsible body for mtb high performance is of course MTBA !

Ray Rice
XC VP WSMTB
[email protected]

Lenny_GTA's picture

thanks for the kind words on the state of play in Glenrock.

From the GTA's perspective, and from that of one of the original protagonists, there is a lot of work to be done. Unfortunately right now funding is whats killing us. The local NPWS want to get on and keep moving with what we have done and they have been more than enthusiastic with what we have been doing. With the funding of last year dried up though, we are back to hand works, with no machinery.

Thats fine for tweaking areas we have fixed, but there are trails requiring massive modification that hand labor of the core GTA crew just will not be enough to get it done.

The NPWS mtb policy is all well and good, but unless we can get funding for trail works not a lot more will happen quickly. With the promotion of Glenrock, we have seen a massive influx of riders. I'd say double is an underestimate, but trail build days have not seen more people. So effectively we now have less funding, and the same amount of people trying to do more work. The danger is we burn people out.

The funding issue is going to be a state wide issue. There is no point building sweet trails in northern sydeny if the agency doesn't make provisions to maintain them. We will be back at square one then with people arguing the trails are not sustainable and we shouldn't be there.

Locals may have noticed the GTA is quiet of late. Mick and I both needed a break after 7 or 8 years of pushing, talking and lobbying so we took dec/jan as a chance to slow down and ride for a bit. Our big push now will be to keep the maintenance running, but more importantly get more resources (funding) on the ground.

Anyway, heres hoping for a big 2012. And want to help with some money, buy one of our t-shirts (http://glenrocktrailalliance.com/node/32729) or jerseys (http://glenrocktrailalliance.com/node/31924), money goes back to the trails.

madstace's picture

I can't think of 2 guys more deserving of a break than Mick and yourself Lenny. If there was a bar in Glenrock (fundraising opportunity? Sticking out tongue), you guys would drink for free.

On the point of funding, where are looking at it to come from? More government funding, or maybe commercial interests if possible?

Hop fiend's picture

I see ya scored a photo & some big words of praise in the latest Mountain Bking Aus. mag(UCI banned sideburns & all)-good to see you back & recharged to hit 2012

Winco's picture

Thanks guys for your suggestion to forward my post to NPWS Sydney Northern Office. I will do this and report back to everyone. I have a contact in management to forward this onto. Let's see what happens.

'Loved to death' - yes, I hear you and agree. Maybe the reason Manly Dam and Glenrock are 'Loved To Death' is because of the small palette of available, well maintained, single track courses available to a population of approx 4.5m people starved for...well read above! Yes sure, throw in Appin, Yellomundee, Ourimbah and Mount Annan not previously mentioned and no less worthy, but that is a small number of additionak trails to absorb the MTB fraternity. I apologise now if I have left one or two trails out. The point is, we should be taking the pressure off MD and Glenrock trails and others too by building more officially sanctioned trails just like Mount Annan, (well done to the staff there BTW. Terrific initiative!) - 'spreading the load' so to speak across the Sydney / NSW basin.

So, help me, help yourself, and most importantly help our fellow MTBker community by promoting 'sustainable' MTBking to those who perhaps do not quite 'understand' what we are so passionate about.

Finally, does anyone know if the NPWS charter allows for commercial sponsorship to fund development of the park infrastructure? i.e. trail building, signage, etc.

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