Canberra- Gungahlin developments

[FR Drew]

Well folks, I'm still at it, chipping away in the background...

As some of you are aware, in mid February, Canberra Off Road Cyclists (CORC) put a submission through to Government for the ACT's first legal dirt jumps to be constructed in Gungahlin (if you don't count the long since departed jumps that used to be at Watson or Hackett).

Following on from the first official feedback to CORCs proposal, a meeting was held this afternoon on the proposed site with a representative of Parks Conservation and Lands. Along with myself and the official from PC&L, Anthony Burton the President of CORC was in attendance as was Alan Kerlin, the President of the Gungahlin Community Council.

The meeting was very productive, enabled us to discuss quite a few issues, demonstrate that there is a genuine need for such a facility and establish a way forward. Due to current zoning of what would appear to be the most appropriate site (unanimously agreed upon by CORC, the GCC and the officer of PC&L), CORC (in conjunction with the GCC) will move to the next phase of process by developing a detailed concept plan. In the next week we will get further feedback from PC&L regarding the details and issues they would like addressed (access, stormwater runoff, etc).

At this afternoon's meeting it was confirmed by the Government representative that there are no current or pre-existing plans for the site in question that are in conflict with our proposed use. It has also been acknowledged that there is an obvious demonstrated requirement for facilities of this type in the Gungahlin region (as evidenced by the prevalence of illegal building in this and previous years at at least 6 sites that we are aware of).

While things are by no means a "done deal" we're further on the path to getting legal DJ's than we've ever been before.

Because we're at the detailed concept plan stage now, I'd value your input.

I understand that CORC is not trusted by many dirt jumpers and I accept that. If you have input that you think would be worthwhile for our planning of the facility, I urge you to come forward to help.

PM me, PM Bill from Downhill Direct (DHD), get in touch with Dave McKinlay the CORC DH co-ordinator, Scott Redding, or Rhys Williams of Backbone BMX.

Your input at this stage will help us to make what will work best for you.

Baby steps and slow going, I know, but we are making forward progress...

[chelsea_fan7]

sounds sick and thanks for getting behind it more dj's the better

[dhd]

FOrward is good! Well done Andrew!:)

[FR Drew]

Please don't take the contact names I've put up on the post above as official representatives or such like, they're merely a group of riders from both the 20 and 26 inch side of things who have come forward and expressed a willingness to help make the project work, someone you can call if you don't feel like talking to me. You can call someone you trust and say "You know that set of doubles we've got in such and such a place, it'd be cool if we could have something like that..." You don't have to worry that people will be finding out about your secret building spots, but we can still get told what features you want.

Please don't let the fact that there might be someone in that group of contacts that you maybe don't get along with that well stop you from having your input. We really want to get this design as good as we possibly can with the space and terrain that is available and that means hearing what you want.

I know there has been friction between groups of riders at particular spots over the years. Hopefully at public jumps where having them found and flattened by the authorities is not an issue and there's lines available for all skill levels people will get along better. We certainly want MTB and BMX riders to feel welcome.

Anyhow, we'd love your help now that we're at the detailed concept plan stage.

[FR Drew]

Well folks, alot has happened in the past fortnight.

On the 10th we had a meeting with a rep from Parks Conservation and Lands to discuss their feedback about our proposal.

Initially they were talking about a draft plan of management for Gungahlin urban open space and public access sportsgrounds (or somesuch, even the acronym takes up half a line in characters).

First attempt at their "please go away" strategy was to claim that "sporting infrastructure is not appropriate" for a block of land categorised as "semi natural open space" and that the site was subject to "substantial overland water flows" (not that they'd bothered to phone or email CORC which would have told them straight away that we were proposing to use the hill, not the lowlands).

So, we responded and had a meeting on the site with one of the senior planners. He said that the site looked like it'd be pretty much ideal, but that he'd have to go back to the department and look at what other constraints there might be (especially after we pointed out that his draft plan of management actually didn't say anything about sporting infrastructure on semi natural open space and that if he'd bothered to phone or email he'd have known that we weren't proposing to use the lowlands).

So, a week goes by and we get an email saying that he's talked to other folks in the department and they have a range of issues:
-there could be dust (so obviously they didn't bother to call us in which case we'd have told them that DJ's are hardpacked and get regularly moistened down as part of their maintenance)
-people might choose to shove their bike over a barbed wire fence and up a steep hill after trudging across a boggy swampland or maybe even cut down the fence to get to the site (as you would, even though there's a cycle path that leads to it and 90% of the users don't come from that side of Gungahlin anyhow).
-there could be issues about insufficient surveillance and "antisocial activity" (despite the fact that you can't see the Kambah BMX track from the road at all and there's never been reports as far as I'm aware on that site at all).
-they might want to let cows onto the site again in the future and cows and dirt jumpers mightn't be compatible (oh yes folks, I kid you not, they actually put this in writing!)

So, we send back a response about dirt jumps being hard packed and not producing dust, that people would ride in via the bike path, that you can see the site easily from 3 major roads and that Kambah has no hassles and that at Sparrow Hill, CORC hasn't had any hassles with cows and cyclists...

Straight away, the response comes through "Oh no, we didn't want you to address our concerns, they are just our reasons for saying that you can't use the site. We'll try and get our staff to look for an alternative for you."

Please don't get the feeling that this is the end of the story, the game is far from over, but suffice it to say that we're dealing with a department that at present seems far more interested in blocking us than being of any help.

As yet they haven't managed to supply us with a single genuine reason why we shouldn't use the site we were looking at. Now they may come to the party and offer an alternative site but on performance thus far, I'm not holding out a lot of hope.

Fortunately we have a support from the local school, support from the scouts and a lot of support from the local community council including a few folks who just love to play politics games with silly public servants.

So now it's going to get interesting for a bit. A bit of media coverage here, a bit of talking to MLA's there, working on a full site plan with a landscape architect, input from dirt jumpers and landcare folks and the school and the scouts...

This is ridiculous, it's taking ages longer than it should have. We could have been digging by now, but some suits in an office just had to go and decide that they were going to be difficult just for the sake of it.

I'll keep you posted.

Wish I had better news for this week.

Drew

[chelsea_fan7]

damn thats a real downer, and that lame reason with the cows is the biggest load of crap i have ever heard!

[FR Drew]

Oh, come on now, you never know when you might want to put cows somewhere...:rolleyes:

As I said, it aint over yet, the games are just beginning.

We've got some people on our side who just live for this kind of bureaucratic manouvering. Some people treat it as a game, almost like chess.

I'm frustrated that everything is taking so long. I had hoped that during this year's building season we'd be, well, building. Instead there will be all these behind the scenes alliances and political stuff being done.

At least we have DJ's on the agenda. That's a huge step forward.

And who knows, with luck these folks might come good with an alternative site (but I have to say, looking at the territory plan online for Gungahlin it's got me stuffed where else they could go).

Happy trails,

drew

[MTBikerTim]

FR Drew. Is there any chance of getting an area at stromlo designated for dirt jumps? I'm happy to build them if we have a place to do it. Me and a mate are contemplating building some portable jumps as we aren't allowed to build proper dj anywhere. I come from a farm where I could build whatever I wanted. So I find the situation in Canberra frustrating to say the least.

Thanks

[FR Drew]

I'll make enquiries tonight at the CORC meeting and let you know what the plans are for Stromlo.

Watch this space...

Drew

[MTBikerTim]

That would be awesome. These days I don't have much of a problem getting around I just need a place to build them. Anyway stromlo is the closest decent place to ride for me anyway. Thanks for your help.

[FR Drew]

Tim, there are some future plans to eventually have some BMX and dirt jumping facilities at Stromlo but they are still a long way off.

Riders throughout Canberra share your frustration at the complete lack of legal sites to build dirt jumps. Unfortuantely, the current policies mean that riders are forced to build their trails either on private land or illegally if they wish to construct dirt jumps.

This has a wide range of implications including bringing riders into conflict with land management authorities, rider risk being heightened because hidden sites have limited ambulance/emergency access, damage to environment etc etc.

This is precisely the reason that CORC are lobbying to get some legal facilities established. Unfortuantely, certain staff in one of the government departments seem to be unwilling to assist the riding community in finding a practical solution.

Drew

[triples]

Tim, there are some future plans to eventually have some BMX and dirt jumping facilities at Stromlo but they are still a long way off.

Riders throughout Canberra share your frustration at the complete lack of legal sites to build dirt jumps. Unfortuantely, the current policies mean that riders are forced to build their trails either on private land or illegally if they wish to construct dirt jumps.

This has a wide range of implications including bringing riders into conflict with land management authorities, rider risk being heightened because hidden sites have limited ambulance/emergency access, damage to environment etc etc.

This is precisely the reason that CORC are lobbying to get some legal facilities established. Unfortuantely, certain staff in one of the government departments seem to be unwilling to assist the riding community in finding a practical solution.

Drew

its the same for every government department I think.

can I ask why gungahlin and not a more centeral location?

[FR Drew]

Due to how widely Canberra is spread, no matter where we do our first building it will be miles away from someone. Woden would be too far from Tuggers, Belconnen, Civic and Gungahlin.

Last year there was building discovered in Mulligans Flats nature reserve in Gungahlin and also on Percival Ridge between Nicholls and the Barton Highway roundabout. Given that illegal building seeemed to be an issue in the area we decided to target that region first. Nothing more than the need being identified.

I'm hoping that if we get approval to build, this will just be the first site and certainly not the only site. We can use the proposal, the risk assessment, the interpretation of the land use legislation etc to strenghten our request for other sites around the ACT.

If there aren't enough sites spread around Canberra that local riders can reach without needing car transport then we're not going to be effective in stopping illegal building. The trails need to be easily reachable.

[J-ack]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: On behalf of every single rider from Campbell High, thank you so much for everything you've done and everything you're (hopefully) going to do.

[FR Drew]

Page 13, Northside Chronicle, Tuesday, June 12, 2007.

Proposal rejected for cycle trail

The ACT Government has rejected a proposal for cycle trails and legal dirt jumps to be built in Gungahlin on the hill between Gundaroo Drive and the Biralee Scout Hall, off the Valley Avenue.

Almost four months ago Canberra Off Road Cyclsits (sic) (CORC) submitted its proposal with the Department of Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS).

CORC trails advocacy team member Andrew Pearce said a location with suitable terrain near both the town centre and the skate park was important.

The site is zoned as semi-natural open space and the cycle trails and legal dirt jumps are proposed to be built on the higher section of the block.

The block's lower section is where stormwater from the Gungahlin Town Centre and Palmerston gathers and which Gungahlin Community Council president Alan Kerlin would like to see function as a a wetland park where students could learn about the importance of wetlands.

However a TAMS spokeswoman said the proposal to establish a dirt jump park was not consistent with the draft plan of management for Gungahlin's open space and public access sportsgrounds.

"Typically, semi-natural open space includes remnant grazing land, native vegetation, including hill-top areas and creek corridors," she said

"The recreational activities that can be expected to be undertaken on this type of land are largely of an informal nature, for example walking and nature study."

"TAMS is investigating other sites that could be suitable for CORC to establish a jump park in the Gungahlin region. (sic, no end quotes)

"In relation to the establishment of a wetland for educational purposes, TAMS has no plans in place for this to occur at present."
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Things you should know:

Within the draft plan of management for Gungahlin's open space and public access sportsgrounds, semi-natural open space is allocated a "moderate" level of management for "the provision and maintenance of opportunities for informal recreation", "paths-cycling" are "sometimes catered for or provided" (as are picnic/BBQ facilities).

Within the draft plan of management, "informal recreation" is described as:

The wide range of informal recreation activities that people enjoy in urban open space
Informal ball sports
Water play


As opposed to "Sport", which is described as:

The wide range of formal competitive outdoor activities which people enjoy in urban open space


Personally I would take this to mean that both XC and dirt jump trails fall under "informal recreation" and certainly the scope is far wider than just the two "typical examples" of nature study and walking as provided by TAMS to the author of the article.

Were we to be listed as a "sport" then there would be provision at local playing fields and ovals for us to create dirt jumps but I'm pretty sure that the local soccer, cricket and rugby teams probably wouldn't approve.

As you can see, as far as cycling is concerned, the draft plan of management falls a long way short of being workable. In fact, as thing currently stand, we have better legislative opportunity to get dirt jumps approved in the Canberra Nature Parks under their plan of management than we do under the plan of management for Urban Open Space. And as management situations go, I think you'd all agree that's a total joke.

[FR Drew]

TAMS has a spokesperson who has gone public in a newspaper distributed over half the ACT with the statement that:

"TAMS is investigating other sites that could be suitable for CORC to establish a jump park in the Gungahlin region."

So it's all for from over, in fact it now has a very public profile.

(omigod it's taking too bloody long though!)

[chelsea_fan7]

well at least you are making some in roads...

[astroboy]

well at least you are making some in roads...


He certainly is, and a solid and sustained effort he is putting in. Things in the advocacy space do tend to move slowly though - it is not a game for the impatient. While Stromlo may appear to have come out of the woodwork in 12 months it actually took 2-3 years of discussions and negotiation before we even put a shovel to the dirt (thanks mostly to the work of the previous CORC trails person).

We will eventually get DJ and an XC track somewhere on the northside of Canberra. It's just a matter of how much damage the Govt wants to suffer from illegally built trails beforehand.

Astro
CORC Trails Team

[arpit]

Frdrew,

If you haven't already done so, watch the movie Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa.

http://www.hifi.nl/gfx/ikiru1_balk_221204.jpg

[Slave]

Okay, this is a gravedig but will there ever be legal dirt jumps in Canberra? The illegal ones I ride were bulldozed this week (or last week) so just wondering if there has been any developments in regards to legal DJs (before I get the shovel out again). At 40 years old I can't wait forever for legal jumps to come by.

[Ezreal2001]

Okay, this is a gravedig but will there ever be legal dirt jumps in Canberra? The illegal ones I ride were bulldozed this week (or last week) so just wondering if there has been any developments in regards to legal DJs (before I get the shovel out again). At 40 years old I can't wait forever for legal jumps to come by.

Hope thats not the new north shore section thats somewhere in the vicinity of trail named after you:confused:

[FR Drew]

Hi Brett,

Still working on it. I had hoped to have the DA lodged last week but the senior planner in PC&L that I had been dealing with has left, and the person in the position of Ranger in Charge at Yerrabi is also changed.

They both need to get up to speed on what has gone before before they can give us our final sign off. I don't expect it to be a problem, but it is causing a delay.

At this stage (assuming that nothing else changes), my guess is for approvals to come through in mid to late january.

[Slave]

Awesome news........................
Great job.

[tommyturtle]

give us jumps!!!!! please.

[smytht1]

give us jumps!!!!! please.

don't tell us that, tell the government that

[FR Drew]

tommy,

We're still working on it.

One of the new folks in Parks has different ideas to the last person I was dealing with. I'm as frustrated as the rest of you (possibly more so given that two and a half years of my volunteer work has thus far still got nowhere when it comes to sticking a spade in the ground).

I don't know if it means the whole thing goes back to the drawing board yet.

Trust me, as soon as I know something I'll be letting people know...