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Northern Beaches Trail Advocacy
BBC article: Mountain biking 'worth millions'
Mountain biking 'worth millions'
A mountain biking project in southern Scotland has been credited with generating £9m annual visitor income and more than 200 new jobs. The 7stanes scheme covering Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders was first set up six years ago. A survey commissioned by Forestry Commission Scotland shows visitor numbers have now hit 400,000-a-year.
Environment Minister Mike Russell said the area had become a "world class mountain biking destination".
Tourism and NSW national parks
Some rather exciting news that could mean better access to NSW National Parks may be forthcoming in the future.
The NSW Government's State Plan seeks to increase visitation to our national parks, and reserves by 20 per cent by 2016. To meet this target it is vital that we provide high quality and diverse visitor experiences and promote these special places effectively, while ensuring the protection of their conservation values.
...
Submissions are invited from interested individuals and organisations on tourism and national parks. Written submissions are invited, and should be lodged by close of business Monday 29 August 2008.
Yes - I know - August 29 this year is not a Monday, they must mean the Friday that week.
The addresses for submission are on the page this was taken from here:
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/commercial/tou...
Any suggestions about what needs to be said in response? If you do write can you please post about it in the Action I've Taken forum.
New NSWMTB Trail Advocacy List
The good folk over at NSWMTB are getting organised. They are trying to co-ordinate advocacy actions at state level and to this end setup a Wiki a while back, and now a mailing list.
I believe the plan is that the mailing list will be low volume for announcements and organising action when it needs to be taken. If you don't want to miss a chance to help advocacy campaigns it's probably a good plan to join this list.
There's a link to the list top of their Wiki, here:
Everyone wants more parks access!
Here's an interesting article from SMH:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/new-airport-...
AN INTERNATIONAL airport should be built at Newcastle with a fast train link to Sydney, national parks should be opened for commercial tourism and Sydney should be rebranded as a global tourist destination, says a scathing report on the State Government's handling of tourism since the 2000 Olympics.
Politicans ride their bikes as well
I just spotted this in the SMH.
Yes its roadie talk but hey I wonder if Mr Abbott has ever tried to take the MTB for a spin in his local backyard Forestville?. Good Luck he would have to drive round to Manly Dam
Pollies pedal for cancer research
March 31, 2008 - 8:33AM
A group of federal politicians is about to embark on a 1,000km bike ride from Melbourne to Sydney to raise money for prostate cancer research.
Public exhibition of the draft Sydney Water Catchment Management Regulation 2008
Update: The submission I just sent in has been posted here. Hopefully it's generic enough that anyone could use it. Please, if you can spare 2 minutes copy paste that and email it off.
Update: I was just asked about the area we're talking about here. There's a PDF map linked on the Special Areas Brochure - What you can and can't do page.
Update: If you haven't submitted anything yet, then do not fear. According to MTBA: Trail Access a one week extension (to June 6) has been negotiated.
The SCA control a lot of land with great trails we are no allowed on right now. If you can write and put forward the view that cycling should be authorised on land under their management it would be greatly appreciated by the MTB community I'm sure.
http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/home/sidebar/community...
Public consultation draft of the Sydney Water Catchment Management Regulation 2008 (493.8 kb PDF File)
I got this only today from Martin G, he said:
The new draft, which is way harsher than the already harsh one in force now has a download at the bottom. Also their Regulatory Impact Statement.
The deadline for responses is this Friday, so if NoBMoB people want to get a response in they'll need to be prompt. A few words asking nicely will help, better to paste stuff from the executive summary. The Minister for Water and the Minister for the Environment should be cc'd too.
The 'executive summary' he mentions is from a draft submission he sent, you can read that below.
Blue MT Council Draft Bike Plan
I thought a few of you might be interested in this.
I haven't had a chance to read it just yet so I have no idea if it is positive towards MTB or not
http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/home/publicexhibition...
The blurb
DRAFT BLUE MOUNTIANS BIKE PLAN 2020
Warringah Council market research call
I just got a call from a market research company doing research on behalf of Warringah Council regarding sporting facilities in the area. I wanted to mention it to everyone cause it's an opportunity to help get the message across to the councils about our trail riding needs. I would usually hang up on these calls but this one is worth doing to push the cause.
Seems to me that we need to get the law and PoM amended
NPWS are only able to control mountain bike access to trails and speeds within national parks because they fall into the definition of a "vehicle" under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 i.e. vehicle includes:
(a) a boat or other object that, while floating on water or submerged, whether wholly or partly, under water, is wholly or partly used for the conveyance of persons or things,
(b) an apparatus that, while propelled, or directed or controlled, in the air by human or mechanical power or by the wind, is wholly or partly used for the conveyance of persons or things,
But They Are Illegal!
In response to a number of comments on here about riding single track in National Parks.
Yes, we all know NOW that riding single track in National Parks is illegal. Actually, I think this was first drawn to my attention a while back when Alchemist mentioned the riding at Bantry Bay. There didn't used to be signs at Bantry Bay (nor Oxford Falls for that matter) so I didn't even know this was National Park, let alone the rule about single track.