Help Needed: Old Man's Valley mountain bike trail plans under threat

From: http://hornsby-advocate.whereilive.com.au/news/s...

Residents resist bike trail at Old Mans Valley
HORNSBY Council has adopted a plan of management for Old Mans Valley, behind Hornsby Park, but has not yet approved a controversial mountain bike trail through the area.

At its previous meeting councillors voted unanimously to adopt the plan, which would clear the way for the long-term transformation of the valley into a public recreation area, with a park and sports field.

But they deferred a decision on the bike trail, which could be built immediately, until after an informal review of its route.

TELL US: Has council made the right decision? Comment below.

At issue is the southside loop part of the track, which Dural St residents say passes too close to their homes.

Cyclists, such as Hornsby’s Martin Wiseta, dismissed residents’ concerns about noise and even spun a bike wheel in the council chambers to demonstrate how quiet it was.

“That’s about as noisy as they get. There’s no engine, there’s no screaming, there’s no yelling - even hitting a golf ball is probably noisier than this,” Mr Wiseta said.

Robert Zivcic, of Dural St, who spoke later, said the proposed track would run through a “buffer zone” between houses on the north side of Dural St and Old Mans Valley.

“We’re concerned generally about that buffer zone becoming a public space,” he said.

Another Dural St resident, Christopher Chavasse, said he was “adamantly opposed to the trail,” because it would bring 400 bikes a day within 20m of his pool.

“It’s an infringement on our privacy and an infringement on our way of life.”

Cr Dilip Chopra took their point and moved that the trail be re-examined.