Are we losing our trails? [Sydney]

[Carlin]

I just picked up the local paper this morning, the Manly Daily. It appears as though some parts of Belrose as owned by the Aboriginal Land Council are being proposed for development. The Land Council are the ones who own the areas of the Oxfor Falls trails that we ride, including Lizard Rock I believe. There is a big photo of Lizard Rock itself with the article. I don't want to jump to conclusions but it is likely that the areas that we ride could be on the for "sale" list.

$10 Million dollar trails? I'm not sure, but that is the quoted value of the land that is proposed to be sold off. If it happens we won't see development for 18-24 months. Places of "cultural significance" such as Lizard Rock will not be developed. Would this include the "Freeride" track? I don't know.

I don't want this thread to be based on race. Yes it is Aboriginal land, but they have been kind enough to let us ride on their land for years, despite signs erected by local model aeroplane clubs that suggest we are not allowed to. They are the ones who have shared it with us, if it was owned by anyone else we probably would have been kicked out ages ago. So don't go on about any crap about "Aborigines stealing our backyards". It is their land and we have been fortunate enought to ride there. learn some respect.

Any way, it is not like Aborigines are taking our trails. Areas further out from Oxford falls that the trails are part of (Yes there are trails beyond the freeride track for all you huckers who only ride the Freeride track :wink: ) have recently become part of Garigal National Park. You all know what that means: "no bikes on single track". So we are losing out either way. We have already seen this happen at the Royal National Park down south. A Poorly mamaged MTB trail (by NPWS) was set up to be a failure and is now being used as an excuse to ban all MTBs (See the current AMB for more).

Red Hill is OK though? Wrong. It is owned by some church I think. The fringes of the land are already becoming retirement villages and so on. We have been able to do what we do there but I can't see it lasting forever. Hey, if You owned the land You would probably sell it too. It is worth a pretty penny. Think of the views that Grizzlies Glory has!

So, I don't think we can blame the Aborigines and I don't think we can blame the churches. Part of the problem in general is that the council is just as happy to sell off our (the public's) land. Once it is gone it cannot be gotten back. And when it is kept it it becomes National Parks and we are kicked out anyway. I don't know what the solution is. I know that it is not blaming minorities (we as MTBers are a minority too remember).

So I am leaving this open ended, read the AMB article, tells us what you think. But please keep it reasonable. Think before you post, and try to be constructive rather than abusive.

Cheers,
Carlin

[LEX]

I think im going to cry :shock: LOL.
Man that sux. i luv lizard and oxford. By the looks of it sydney farkners are all gonna become urban riders lol.
What would we need to do to get a park for us? i know this has been posted up before .

[Malfuctioning Eddie]

Old news man, they have been tying to get developments on that land ever since they got it back.
That's why it's so funny when they whigne about us racing there.

[dugfast]

the same thing is happening at the old bathurst trails. The land is being sold off and we'll be kicked out. I'm not sure if the land is public or private, but it does suck that we are being totally limited in where we ride.

Its very true saying that once theyre gone, theres no way of getting them back. Once the land is developed, another trail has been lost. The thing that gets me is that eventually there will be no bushland left except for national parks, and everyone will be like 'we should have left that land that we developed. It would have been an asset to the aesthetic qualities of the surroundings'. But everything is about money and its not going to change.

[samuel t]

that suks :evil: i say

protest :P hahahahaha

no im serios

[Kammy]

yeah that would have people so peeved off if it was taken away

[brettly]

yeah....same is happening out south-west sydney,First the lost of 'bulli' and now it seems 'mtkiera'(wollongong uni track) due to several reasons ..private/council establishment/safety :( .I dunno we need official dh/fr trials that are privately owned and run(ie thredbo) and more of em...im sure many ppl here would pay 10-15$ for the day, so there has got to be somethin in it :?

[Jordy]

yeah....same is happening out south-west sydney,First the lost of 'bulli' and now it seems 'mtkiera'(wollongong uni track) due to several reasons ..private/council establishment/safety :( .I dunno we need official dh/fr trials that are privately owned and run(ie thredbo) and more of em...im sure many ppl here would pay 10-15$ for the day, so there has got to be somethin in it :?

Bulli and Mt Keira got closed for other reasons to land ownership, it got closed because of arrogant pricks.

BTW, Thredbo isnt privately owned....it is leased off NPWS

[brettly]

Bulli and Mt Keira got closed for other reasons to land ownership, it got closed because of arrogant pricks.

BTW, Thredbo isnt privately owned....it is leased off NPWS

Pardon my lack of knowledge on thredbo :? ...i was told that the land at the bottom of kiera had been sold to someone else??,just rumours i guess?

[Jordy]

Bulli and Mt Keira got closed for other reasons to land ownership, it got closed because of arrogant pricks.

BTW, Thredbo isnt privately owned....it is leased off NPWS

Pardon my lack of knowledge on thredbo :? ...i was told that the land at the bottom of kiera had been sold to someone else??,just rumours i guess?
No it was still owned by the Uni....some "non-local" people pissed off the horse riders who lease the land off the uni and pissed off the Uni even more by riding through the uni flat out and not stopping for security

[Timmy Bee]

cant we make some sort of pertition? maby an online one, that way all the farkiners can sign it.

just a thought. any way, if there was anough people interested, maby it will stay around, but its probebly a long shot.

[RCOH]

cant we make some sort of pertition?


Pertition? Is that where you sign a temporary wall that divides a room? :wink:

[bazza]

i feel sorry for you boys and girls down in sydney. we have had a similar thing happen TWICE now in a year too us. first the private land owner sold our land that were using as a club base for agesssssssss than our other land which had an ociena championship on ages back has now been sold by the council to developers. so that sucks. however the club is working hard to get some new land lined up so hopefully it will all go ahead and we will have a nationals round here sometime in the not so distant future :wink:

[Toxic]

I do recall having a conversation with someone at Red Hill where the point was made that the land is really unstable for houses to be developed on it. I'm not sure if this is actually the case, but it could be the shining light everyone is hoping for.

[nitwit]

the land is really unstable for houses to be developed on it.

That never stopped developers or the government before from building on old tips or swamp land.

I feel the best way that people in Sydney and surronding areas well get legal trails is:
Join clubs
Don't build illegal constructions/tracks/jumps
When riding remember your representing all of us
MTBClubs are able to go about trails access on a legal level, but they need more support from us , more members.

[Carlin]

our other land which had an ociena championship on ages back has now been sold by the council to developers. so that sucks.

That is what get's me. Council's sell land for a short term gain, money. But a few travel rorts later at it is gone forever. If they just kept the land it would have infinite value to the community forever.

[bazza]

our other land which had an ociena championship on ages back has now been sold by the council to developers. so that sucks.

That is what get's me. Council's sell land for a short term gain, money. But a few travel rorts later at it is gone forever. If they just kept the land it would have infinite value to the community forever.


lets just hope that this well help our movement to get the big, sealed tarmac access hill available for riding. HOPEFULLY. and that wont be developed for a VERY VERY VERY long time. so everyone just has there fingers crossed atm. do you think a show of support like all the downhillers showing up to the council chambers on there dh bikes would help? or at least bring the matter forth? or would it just piss people off.