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Planned land development at Morgan Road ?!?
Hi folks,
I might have been living under a rock to have missed this info, but was anyone else aware of the pending land development planned for much of the land surrounding Morgan Road?
The development of 432 housing lots is known as "Lizard Rock", and is being performed by Laing O'Rourke on behalf of the land owners (Aboriginal Land Council).
Here's the web site
http://www.laingorourke.com.au/Projects/Developm...
Update: Moved to
http://www.laingorourke.com.au/Projects/Building...
As you can see, it encompasses much of the land surrounding Morgan Road, including the Downhill and Lizard Rock trails.
The forecast completion is from August 2009 to early 2013.
So, get your last rides in now...or maybe buy a block right next to your favourite trail!
Regs,
Tony
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Although this development is going to go ahead there are 2 upsides to this story
1. Warringah council has planned to create a new downhill track for us to use. Its part of the proposed Northern Beaches Trail Network and will be properly designed by professionals, built by trained builders in conjunction with mtbers and will be maintained by mtbers like you and I.
2. The Lizard Rock trail passes through an area of endangered vegetiation. Becuase of this, we probably shouldn't be riding this trail anyway. On the upside, this section of the development may also have to be altered to accomedate these endangered plants
PS sorry about dodgy spelling, not nearly enough sleep lately.
If you look in the street directory you will see all the roads proposed for Oxford Falls area.
It's a bit scary, but there is also a lot of development planned for the peninsula in general under some government bill for each area in Sydney to increase its population as the overall population grows.
Beacon Hill High bulldozed for development, contradictory in a lot of ways because with population increases we need schools. There are people trying to develop a large plot at Ingleside but their land is locked in and they have not been successful in getting access roads approved.
Progress is inevitable..
If you look on the lands NSW site you'll see many of our favourite trails are on land that's split into development blocks and will disappear soon enough.
It's stupidity really. Craig says progress is inevitable but think about these options:
1) Do you want more sprawling accommodation (housing suburbs), with more reliance on private cars and less public spaces such as national parks & reserves?
or
2) Do you want more condensed accommodation (high-rise units) that bring the population density needed to make really good public transport (proper rail links) economical and that then leave the national parks and reserves there for everyone to enjoy?
My vote is clearly the later. I live in a unit in St Leonards, walk to the office, will be taking a bus (or cycling) 15 mins when it moves, can get to the city in 25 mins, am completely surrounded by cafes, restaurants, bars, etc (easily 50 within a 10 min walk). OK, so I don't have a garden (tiny as it may be) and a double garage, but do have a single garage and a 20m pool and well equipped gym four floors away in a lift. Think which of the two you'd make more use of?
And before you ask, no - we never hear the neighbours, but yes, do look out of the window at the opposite building. But so do house dwellers, or worse, they look at a fence 1m away - in reality we all just close the blinds or get frosted windows and it's all good. At least we can wake up and see the sun rise over green suburbs as light streams into the bedroom (this is the only view we have mind - if you have the $$$ we all know apartment views kick ass).
This is a bit of a rant, and I'm sorry about that, but it drives me insane that people think it's inevitable that urban sprawl will keep on sprawling. It only sprawls 'cos the demand is there, and that demand can so easily be turned with a little thought. Or can it, 'cos it would seem ideas like this are in the minority in this city/country/world!
you cant stop progress mate. i look on my ubd map of red hill and see proposed roads all over the place. does that mean i can go out with my shovel and start trail blazing??? wish i could but my conscience says "NO!".
it makes me sick though how some fat cat in the council can give it over to developers to destroy at the push of a digger starter button without any regard to the wildlife or any recreational relevence. i live in the middle of all these beautifull trails and even if i didnt mountainbike id be pretty p....d off to see them flattened.... i mean, you could make all the new people in sydney live in southerlandshire,ive heard its a riot down there!!!
OK perhaps I should state that I am not in favour of the governments growth proposals. Mind you I could be labeled hypocritical seeing as I live in a new estate at Belrose (oops).
Sydney and Australia's population is growing at an alarming rate.
We are destroying farmland by the Hawkesbury for housing as well so up go the prices of fruit and vege's.
But where do we put all the people?
I am not sure I am in favour of high rise, high density developments nor do I want the urban sprawl.
Most local councils now have medium density approvals to replace single dwellings. (Great for developers)
For many years Australia's population growth was negative and immigration was the only contributor to growth. The Govt tells us we need more people to keep the economy strong. More people more money spent, more taxes etc..
Also,
There are groups that complain about the number of national parks being declared...
There are groups that complain that the shortage in housing pushes the prices up (=build more houses)
Lower interest rates cause people to go nuts and spend well more than they can afford and push prices up..
I hate seeing things change too.
Not sure I know the answer. I do know that progress is inevitable so we should enjoy it while we can.
Gazz, Sutherland Shire is the southern equivalent to the Northern Beaches. Parochial, loyal, beautiful bushland suburbs.
it's the main reason we all live on the North Side in the first place and how is the deal that we can't ride through becuase of 'endangered vegetation' but hey! go right ahead and bulldoze it for houses -or, no, you can't chop down a sick tree, but yes you can demolish pristine bush and flatten it for a new housing developement - it's wrong and I totally oppose any further development in our area - not to mention the wallabies, echidnas, fairy wrens etc etc etc
Plus, if Lizard Rock goes, that will be end of my side of Oxford Falls and that bloody retirement village fiasco...
No way for more houses in our bush - this is what really gets me so grumpy as I don't want to have to leave Sydney but really, unless you buy your own acres everything gets bloody well destroyed.
Thats my rant.
Im sitting hear thinking do I procrastinate, do I have a rant, do I treat it as a SEP (Somebody Else's Problem for fans of Douglas Adams) or do I get involved. Well I procrastated yesterday, ranting only make me feel better for a short time, doing nothing achieves nothing, so I might try being proactive.
Like many of you (hopefully) I responded to the draft Warringah Regional Multiple-use Trail Strategy and going forward I see having the needs of all trail users addressed and protected by the government as paramount, but what I don't know is:
(a) Who is representing me and the mountain biking community and
(b) What are they saying I/we want.
Surely someone from NOBMOB or MWMTB should be representing MTB riders on this strategy group and if they arn't when we should approach Warringah Council offering our services as representatives of this key user group (There is no better place to protect our trails than sitting at the table with the rule makers).
Does anybody know who is our voice with this strategy group and do we as a community want to stand up and be counted or is it SEP.
Paul
PS - it turned into a rant at the end.
You might think it sounds funny, but if you ask me, 400 individual letters to the council on this matter will have a lot more weight than one letter with 400 names at the bottom of it.
Maybe...?
Manly Warringah MTB Club are heavily involved in this from what I know. I'm sure someone will be along soon to explain why joining that club is a good idea for those who don't race and just want to keep trails open.
You should also get involved with TerraCare, and get on the Manly Dam Ranger's mailing list.
This is probably a good time to point out there's a maintenance at Manly Dam at Manly Dam on the 29th: Manly Dam Trail Day. The more support they get for this the more notice the council will take of riders (one would hope).
If you really care, don't wait for someone else to organise action, take it upon yourself to write to the council/NPWS/whoever and voice your fears about parkland and open spaces under threat. That said, a co-ordinated effort might work.
Shall we make a 'Trail Advocacy' forum? Yes, I think so... <waves magic wand>... 'tis done.
The more individual letters the better. even if they are carbon copies.
A petition with 400 names on gets opened once. As opposed to someone opening 4000 letters.
Also check out MTBA new trail advocacy forum and keep an eye on the formation of an Australian IMBA arm
http://www.mtba.asn.au/trails/?IntCatId=10&IntCo...
If MWMTB are involved I'll be more than happy to sign up and add another voice and I think I will contact the Council (you can never have too much bureaucracy in your life).
It's a pity our Manly Dam BBQ day isn't on a week later and co-ordinated to begin after the Maintenance day .
They have a BBQ after the trail day... go... build... enjoy
Hi everybody.
I just joined this website, I do ride and stuff but I'm doing a fieldwork assignment on lizard rock for my assignment and i need to do questionaires.
I'm going to make one here now and if you guys could answer the questions that would be fantastic.
Thanks.
Bec. :]
Since population growth is really the driver behind all of this I'm interested to know if anyone knows why all forms of Gov't are so keen on population growth? The cynic in me suggests it is just more revenue for them but is there a more altruistic explanation?
It strikes me that population growth on our already overcrowded sphere isn't such a good thing.
Ta,
Matt.
as you suggest matt i dont think population growth in already heavily populated areas such as Sydney is the answer at all.
we should be looking to move west and expand the sydney area, instead of cutting down what little bush we have left to jam in another 1500 people.
we cant all live on the northern beaches and as consumers we except that, its a pity the devolopers and money hungry council reps (see one southern council making headlines at the moment) dont fully understand it.
cheers
Kurt
Does anybody have news on what's happening with it i.e. is it still happening, what stage are the powers that be at?
Just curious...
Not sure if this was missed, but does anybody know what's happening with the NBTN?