You are hereCalendar / Warringah Council Meeting - Show support with silent protest
Warringah Council Meeting - Show support with silent protest
Council Chambers, Civic Centre, 725 Pittwater Road, Dee Why (enter Civic Drive)
Council need to be shown immediately what a mistake has been made, and how many riders are effected by the recent Manly Dam trail closure.
As such it would be a very good idea to show up at this meeting for a silent show of support. Speakers are not allowed at this meeting and rowdy, insulant or other petty behavior would not help our cause one bit.
Please wear your riding gear and helmet so council are sure where your allegiance lies.
While I would encourage everyone who can to attend, please only go to these meetings if you know you can control your emotions, bite your tongue, and have the patience of a saint!
The meetings will be held at: Council Chambers, Civic Centre, 725 Pittwater Road, Dee Why (enter Civic Drive) and commence 6pm. More details should appear here:
http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/council_then/meetings_council.aspx
Were you there and have a story to tell?
This gallery is empty.
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
I have to look after the kids on Tuesday evenings but I'll do everything I can to make alternative arrangements. I think a silent show of numbers will be critical.
Should we all be wearing bike helmets ?
CB
Doesn't look like much of a show of support with only 8 riders there.
Are there people planning to come who just haven't clicked the star ?
CB
We have to promote this big time over the next few days, any idea's on top of what has already been done?
I'll try to post it up on any relevant manly dam treads on Rotor again to bump it up to attention when i get a minute
I'm keen, but if I ride there will there be anywhere to stash my bike so it doesn't get flogged while I'm in the meeting?
I sat in the back gallery (the kitchen area I think) with my bike, it does mean that you aren't truly representing down in the 'theatre' seats.
There may be bike racks around i.e. at the library (for one), for you to lock up the steed.
I don't own a lock! Are we all going to meet up outside before going in? Maybe I can lock my bike up with someone else?
I've got one, pretty long if a few people wanna chain up too.
Is there still a posse in effect tonight? Was planning on just riding there and hanging round like a bad smell and eyeballing people until the meeting starts.
See you at 6pm...
Reminder for manly Dam Council meeting at 6pm tonight
I assume most people will be fellow cyclists and not Dam walkers???
I am in, see you all there, bringing a few riders with me & wearing my bike helmet.
Just got back from Council, after what was quite a farce. I've never see so many motions passed, dismissed, fors, against, amendments etc it was like watching tennis going back and forth across the chamber. Quite funny, but hard to follow what was going on. But I believe this is how it ended...
MTB's are now allowed back on the trail. The bad news however is walkers are now banned. At least that's how I understand the farce to end.
Oh and upto $100,000 is going to be spent on upgrades, signage and cups of tea (ok I made that bit up) in the park.
BTW A good turn out of riders we're there too. More than the 24 who signed up here I think
The minutes I expect will be published on the Council website soon and I'm sure someone, Rob or Hawkeye could provide a better update than my vague understanding.
Just come back from the meeting as well. Wasn't going to go in but there was a good turn out of riders so I filed in with the others. All the motions and amendments were confusing as well as entertaining in a really dull way. The highlight obviously being the reopening of the trail (as I understood it) but I found it pretty funny that due to the larger than normal turn out there was a fair bit of grandstanding and sucking up to the gallery.
No one seems to know who was responsible for closing the trail but it was obvious that more than one wanted to be known as the person responsible for re-opening it. Funny to see politics are the same whether its local, national or global. There was some poorly concealed animosity between certain councillors which made me chuckle.
There were a handful of bushwalkers who were older and a bit cantankerous and also pretty vocal. I think its a shame that we can't go on sharing the trail as we have in the past but at least the majority have won out for the time being.
I'll let someone closer to the scene give the full summary of what the outcome actually was but it seems like happy days again.
Oh and my bike didn't get nicked despite being outside and unlocked. That was a highlight too!
Virginia Laugesen and Chirstina Kirsch need to be thanked for their effort put in for both the MTB community and the walkers.
Vincent De Luca needs to stop being a show pony.
Connie Harris is on another planet (she moved to have the trail open to MTB's for six days a week and walkers for one)
And the remainder of the councillors just heed to what the general manager says.
I must have dozed off during the meeting and/or not payed enough attention but the way I see it; unicycles get every Monday after a rainy Saturday ( apparently they have less wheels thus cause less damage ), single speed bikes can have Tuesdays, fixed singles are Thursdays, hardtails get Sunday arvos and Fridays and 29 hardtails can ride Sunday and Saturday morning.. duelies can ride odd nights when the moon is more than half full and walkers cant ride it unless they have a bike and can play a musical instrument and its a leap year on a Wednesday?
But no provision for playing drums... bugger?
Great news. A return email is warranted to thank Manly Council. I've already sent mine.
To Rob and your army, congratulations!!!!
Big effort on this project.
What did rob do? He's skiing!
It was a bit confusing to follow all the motions. Very messy. But good outcome for riders.
Thank you Virginia Laugesen, Chirstina Kirsch & Vincent De Luca.
Cheers guys.
Virginia I will have a drink for you tonight.
I found it really hard following what was going on with the amount of flip flopping, but then I did turn up late. When it ended I still thought it was only open to bikes 6 days of the week (that suggestion got some sniggers). I do remember the $100k being mentioned but can't remember the exact details. Looking forward to seeing it all in writing.
I'm really happy about the reinstated volunteer days, but feel that banning the walkers is regrettable and hope it doesn't come back and bite us in the future, we are on same side after all.
As others have mentioned, it has been suggested that the protest ride would now be counter productive and should be pulled (despite what I said in a previous post).
Dates for the actual POM review and ranger appointment weren't established, but given how long it took to reach these decisions (even the mayor made reference that last night's meeting was looking to be a repeat of the infamous 'Torture Chamber') I hope these calls will be somehow made out of council chambers.
I live in hope...
Are you serious? What did Rob do?? I take it you must be referring to last night's meeting alone otherwise what are you trying to do??
Great result and thanks to all who did their bit and showed support in one form or another and I agree we were quick enough to send emails of protest, we should follow up emails with those in council that helped.
i take it dangersean is just having a joke, we all know Rob has done a great deal, imagine if this site did not exist for a start.
Everyone has done a fine job of pulling together to gain the desired outcome, or very close to it!
At the end of the day as i said in my letters, as we are the majority user group, the logical thing to do if there is an apparent safety issue, would be temporarily stop walkers(many of us included).Fix the issue, make it a designated mtb trail, give riders right of way, and let walkers back on with the appropriate safety signage in place that states the approved direction and who has right of way.
Last night was my first visit to a council meeting and I must say how disapointing it was. Sure it's great to see the loop back open but the meeting provided a deeper insight into how it became such a tangled mess in such a short time. I arrived just as 'the vote' was taking place and it was great to see the torture chamber full of biker brethren. The mood in the gallery changed significantly when the 'hands in the air' were counted and the applause said it all. As I was also in support of the volunteer days being reinstated I sat and waited while the other important council business were attended to. Crikey - that was the heartbraking moment ! The arguing, the petty comments and the grandstanding made for a very dull evening. I understand the political nature and the need for debate on issues but last nights performance was nothing more than immature. The behaviour I experienced last night would simply not be tolerated in any of the organisations I have been part of.
The lesson for me last night was simple. The issue of 'right of use' for Manly Dam isn't going to go away. Just as the biker movement is on the increase so are the number of environmental whackos. Importantly these do gooders have the ear of the uninformed public. This is dangerous ground. Perhaps we need to get on the propaganda wagon and find ways to spread the good word on how great this MTB stuff really is.
But what the recent events have shown is that the mountain bike community is a large group of passionate, like minded souls. We are well conntected through sites like nobmob and can mobilse quickly ("411 emails" was mentioned last night). Awesome stuff. It has also shown us there are members of council who are on our side. Big respect goes out to Virginia Laugesen, Chirstina Kirsch & Vincent De Luca for their support in last nights decision.
And thanks to those folk who took time from their busy lives to gather the troops, keep us in the loop, print and distribute flyers, advise emails addresses and sort out protest rides etc etc etc. Mighty fine of y'all.