Don't forget to comment on Warringah Council Draft Recreation Strategy

Here's what I sent:

Greetings,

I’d like to express my strong support for the expansion of cross-country mountain biking facilities in the Draft Recreation Strategy to more than one additional facility.

For the fifth year in a row, the sale of new bicycles has outstripped the sale of new cars, and my understanding from a number of sources is that approximately 70% of those sales are of mountain bikes. Most organised mountain bike events over the last 18 months have sold out within days. The recent World Championships held at Mount Stromlo saw attendance figures in excess of 35,000 being quoted (Mountain Bike Australia 2009).

The provision of *quality* cross-country mountain biking trails known as “singletrack” is demonstrated to be one of the strongest attractions for bicycle tourism in a number of overseas countries and Australian localities, providing significant measurable monetary net benefits to the immediately surrounding communities. Sustainable models of partnership between Councils and local user communities exist in Wagga, Canberra, Hunter Valley and - in the near future - Hornsby. Trails that use the natural terrain rather than engineered solutions, and are designed and built to minimise erosion risk are far more interesting for users than graded fire roads (which most mountain bikers regard as singularly boring), and would provide maximum enjoyment and attraction for users at the minimum environmental impact and cost to Council.

Expansion of such facilities would have the following benefits:
• Improvement in exercise rates among the local population
• Improvement in appreciation for the natural environment (this is from my personal experience)
• Discouragement of the use and construction of illegal and environmentally unsustainable trails by the provision of an attractive alternative
• Attraction of users from outside the area who spend and contribute to the local economy
• Sharing of the burden imposed upon the Manly Dam trail due to its great popularity

If such facilities were expanded in the Warringah area my xx year old son and I would definitely travel to use them, spending money in these localities for refreshment at a minimum. The popularity of our sport is growing so rapidly that it is putting the existing limited available legal trails under pressure, and an increase in alternatives helps everybody. Manly Dam sees hundreds of users a day every weekend. Each time we ride there, we meet people who travel from all over Sydney to ride this trail. We have on more than one occasion met people travelling from Europe, Asia, South America and South Africa who choose to stay in the nearby area and spend their accommodation, sustenance and entertainment dollars here solely due to the existence of this facility. There is significant existing pent-up demand. More than one additional legal facility is required.

Data recently received from a Hornsby Shire Council councillor indicates that mountain biking rates second-highest as the activity people would most like to undertake in their locality if there were suitable facilities.

Provision of further access to attractive trails in alternative areas close to shops, refreshment and parking will help achieve all the aims of the Draft Recreation Plan and provide a significant net tourism benefit for relatively little cost.

It is vital that mountain bikers be consulted and have ongoing involvement in the trail location, design, construction and maintenance process. A key concern shared by all mountain bikers is the issue of environmental sustainability. We would like to see Council come to this enterprise with an attitude of partnering with the user community with an aim to achieve world’s best practice.

Failure to consult and bring an attitude of partnering has lead to outcomes such as:
• the recent anti-erosion works adjacent to Southern Cross Drive Allambie creating a high-speed trail section dangerous to other users,
• the sharp-cornered steps right next to rocky descent near Wanganella Rd being a danger to cyclists,
• spacing of the log drops adjacent to Roosevelt Av and Churchill Cr being spaced very awkwardly for cyclists
• and others,
which are regarded as notably poor results by experienced riders, and indicating a marked lack of understanding of the dynamics of mountain biking and an inability to think creatively.

Actively involving mountain bikers would have led to outcomes that were so much better for everybody, since we are not only cyclists but walkers, pet owners, parents, environmentalists, and members of the community.

I would like to suggest Robin Rainton from Northern Beaches Mountain Bikers (www.nobmob.com) as an appropriate point of contact for local mountain bikers. He will be able to connect Council with mountain bike-savvy professionals with research, planning, design and trail construction expertise, including World Trail and the International Mountain Biking Association.

For the purposes of providing demographic information, I am a YY-year old male. I am a professional with business and investment interests and we have a high disposable family income. We use our mountain bikes for several hours each weekend and much of our travel and holiday planning is influenced by whether mountain biking trails and facilities exist in a given area.

I trust you find this information useful.

Regards,
Name and address supplied

Feel free to plagiarise the general ideas, but please use your own words. This ensures maximum impact - "carbon copies" are regarded (appropriately) as a single source agitating for action, and are discounted accordingly.

It's actually called Wandella

Bump!!! Last day to comment... come on... it's Friday, what else you gonna do?

looking forward to seeing the rusults from this, eh.