Manly Dam Closure - How You Can Help

[Squidly Didly]

Warringah Council has put the brakes on bike riding for safety reasons around parts of the Manly Warringah War Memorial Park. Due to a bureaucratic error that happened many years ago the single track sections of the Manly Dam circuit have never actually been technically legal riding. As such, instead of turning a blind eye, or deciding to make an extra effort to work around what is their mistake, they are to penalise riders by closing sections of the track.

How you can help:

1. Write to members of council. Details here
2. Attend the next council meetings as a silent protest. Details here
3. Come on the show of support ride. Details here


Thank you all for your support.

[dcrofty]

One of the councillors had a good point that when the POM calls for submissions we need to absolutely flood it with responses so keep and eye out for that.

[Sutek]

Warringah Council has put the brakes on bike riding for safety reasons around parts of the Manly Warringah War Memorial Park. Due to a bureaucratic error that happened many years ago the single track sections of the Manly Dam circuit have never actually been technically legal riding. As such, instead of turning a blind eye, or deciding to make an extra effort to work around what is their mistake, they are to penalise riders by closing sections of the track.

How you can help:

1. Write to members of council. Details here
2. Attend the next council meetings as a silent protest. Details here
3. Come on the show of support ride. Details here


Thank you all for your support.

Mate, can you elaborate on what their mistake is? I'm all fro supporting you guys once I have all the FAX

Good luck and Giddy up young Padowan

[Squidly Didly]

Mate, can you elaborate on what their mistake is? I'm all fro supporting you guys once I have all the FAX

Good luck and Giddy up young Padowan

You did click the link right? Silly old man

I just don't know how to put this, so am going to just get straight to the point:

Manly Warringah Council have decided that due to a bureaucratic error that happened many years ago the single track sections of the Manly Dam circuit have never actually been technically legal riding. As such, instead of turning a blind eye, or deciding to make an extra effort to work around what is their mistake, they are to penalise riders by closing sections of the track.

If you look at the linked map, it's obvious that the circuit is basically unridable given this decision.

They are sighting safety concerns for this, but that is a complete joke as, as far as I'm aware there have been no documented incidents involving riders and another party there. I spoke to the Mayor on Wednesday night who admits this isn't an issue as he is aware of "only one incident in 5 (or is that 10?) years" (he wasn't sure of the timeframe).

Please take a look at the closed sections on the map (and you note the map says that 'Penalties Apply') and steer clear of these tracks.

Reading the release it seems this will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the council Mar 23 to discuss this. I'd advise anyone with interest in riding Manly Dam to attend. You might also like to email or call councillors (their contact details are available on Warringah's Elected Council page) with your views on this.

[Tristan23]

Warringah Council is going to need to hire out a rather large external venue if they're going to fit everyone in for that meeting on the 23rd...

[Oliver.]

...wondering if this will eclipse the original Grove meet. Either way, see you all there. It begins again.

[evargo]

a little bit more info here: http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/serv...nlyDamfaqs.pdf

I actually called the council and they reckon even with a push it could still take over 6 months to open up again if all goes well.

Real BS - apparently it sparked with walkers moaning about MTB riders... and to be honest the complainers were the ones walking with dogs off the leash (funny how they never got fined!)...

... apparently there are also a bunch of walking tracks that also did not get the necesary approval back in the day... however they havent been closed down...