scratchy
Farkin Activist
Well it’s been a year since the Mitcham Council voted to adopt the plan to develop legal MTB tracks.
Heres a wrap up of how the years gone (from the top of my head after some discussions with various people so accuracy in “Conversation Level”) ;-)
The first couple of months were wasted by some well known MTB opposers lodging an appeal with the Ombudsman that the council hadn’t followed due process. Time was wasted providing the Ombudsman all the info and it turns out that the council did everything by the book.
Once we got through that (remember that wasn’t the councils fault, they had to defend their decision and couldn’t proceed until they had).
Soon after that they advertised for the position of Trails officer and it was awesome that one of South Australias most accomplished policy makers/implementers Rod Worthington, found the time out of his busy schedule to make it to Mitcham 1 day a week (which soon became 2). Pony ridge was the first on his target and the guys who build Eagle MTB park (Trail Solutions Australia) put in the challenging switchbacks (if you’re not a good enough rider to make it around the corners, don’t straightline it di#kheads). Mid year saw Rod starting many projects, that will bear fruit in the coming years. Of coarse the fence went up and Randells, but council made no secret in that and we’ve had lots of warning. Sometimes you have to take 1 step back to go 2 steps forward. Sure it didn’t take long for “alternate” ways around the fence to appear (everyone knew this would happen, but it was more a symbolic gesture to appease some local residents and possibly the councils insurance provider.)
There was also a cataloguing of trails which shouldn’t have been too time consuming (as it was kinda done for the report).
With spring in the air, a very important and crazy time began for Rod as he madly tried to catalog all the species of signficiant plants. Spring is the best time to do this and while some of us aren’t into plants, the reality is without a vegetation report, we’ll never get legal tracks anywhere. So once again Rod was setting up for the big plans in the coming years.
Coming into November we had the Council Elections, the incoming council will vote on everything Rod does, so it’s critical to legal MTB trails who is on the council. Of interest Bob Marshall was running for Mayor. He voted against the plan for legal MTB trails and even tabled his own plan (which would have delay the opening of any trails by years). MTBers showed up and voted and he lost by 900 odd votes! Of the 3 people who voted against the MTB plan, only 1 remains on the council, Councillor Grant Hudson. His concerns were mainly monetary and with the State Government contributing $125,000 to the MTB plan- hopefully his concerns have been addressed.
Of coarse the council put out word for volunteers, and people have complained to me that they want to help but they can’t get on. Not to worry, the council was stoked with the reply and there will be lots of opportunity for everyone to contribute.
We now enter a phase of getting things ready for the next push. Spring is well and truly over, so the vegetation studys have to be collated. Plans are being drawn up and some areas such as the reserves at the top of Shepherds are quite advanced. On that note please help and support the establishment of legal trails in Shephards Hill reserve, which isn’t under Mitcham councils control. The link is here: http://www.amtbc.com/MTBCommunity/TrailAccess/Action-Alert---Shepherds-Hill.asp and while you’re doing it, respond to the Sturt Gorge one as well as the Mitcham trails will once again be potentially above this area.
http://www.amtbc.com/MTBCommunity/TrailAccess/Action-Alert---Sturt-Gorge.asp
With legal trails in Shepherds by the State government and legal trails in the reserves above it by the local council, this will truly be a great place to ride.
Other areas such as Lyton (Windies) still have access problems at the top. It’s hoped that with the opening of Eagle MTB parks (verrry soon), non MTBers will be able to see for the first time these sustainable legal trails we keep telling them about. This enlightenment should make the difference in some of the trickier areas (think Windies, Randos, Andos). Yes it’s a shame all the DH areas are so hard to get open, but from all reports you guys are pretty sketchy on the Eagle DH, so maybe get that wired first!
Thanks for everyones support, merry Christmas. Rod can/should be contacted at Mitcham Council every Thurs and Fri. email him: mountainbike@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au
If you have any querries email him or drop me a line.
That’s all for now, rock Eagle for me!
Scratchy
Heres a wrap up of how the years gone (from the top of my head after some discussions with various people so accuracy in “Conversation Level”) ;-)
The first couple of months were wasted by some well known MTB opposers lodging an appeal with the Ombudsman that the council hadn’t followed due process. Time was wasted providing the Ombudsman all the info and it turns out that the council did everything by the book.
Once we got through that (remember that wasn’t the councils fault, they had to defend their decision and couldn’t proceed until they had).
Soon after that they advertised for the position of Trails officer and it was awesome that one of South Australias most accomplished policy makers/implementers Rod Worthington, found the time out of his busy schedule to make it to Mitcham 1 day a week (which soon became 2). Pony ridge was the first on his target and the guys who build Eagle MTB park (Trail Solutions Australia) put in the challenging switchbacks (if you’re not a good enough rider to make it around the corners, don’t straightline it di#kheads). Mid year saw Rod starting many projects, that will bear fruit in the coming years. Of coarse the fence went up and Randells, but council made no secret in that and we’ve had lots of warning. Sometimes you have to take 1 step back to go 2 steps forward. Sure it didn’t take long for “alternate” ways around the fence to appear (everyone knew this would happen, but it was more a symbolic gesture to appease some local residents and possibly the councils insurance provider.)
There was also a cataloguing of trails which shouldn’t have been too time consuming (as it was kinda done for the report).
With spring in the air, a very important and crazy time began for Rod as he madly tried to catalog all the species of signficiant plants. Spring is the best time to do this and while some of us aren’t into plants, the reality is without a vegetation report, we’ll never get legal tracks anywhere. So once again Rod was setting up for the big plans in the coming years.
Coming into November we had the Council Elections, the incoming council will vote on everything Rod does, so it’s critical to legal MTB trails who is on the council. Of interest Bob Marshall was running for Mayor. He voted against the plan for legal MTB trails and even tabled his own plan (which would have delay the opening of any trails by years). MTBers showed up and voted and he lost by 900 odd votes! Of the 3 people who voted against the MTB plan, only 1 remains on the council, Councillor Grant Hudson. His concerns were mainly monetary and with the State Government contributing $125,000 to the MTB plan- hopefully his concerns have been addressed.
Of coarse the council put out word for volunteers, and people have complained to me that they want to help but they can’t get on. Not to worry, the council was stoked with the reply and there will be lots of opportunity for everyone to contribute.
We now enter a phase of getting things ready for the next push. Spring is well and truly over, so the vegetation studys have to be collated. Plans are being drawn up and some areas such as the reserves at the top of Shepherds are quite advanced. On that note please help and support the establishment of legal trails in Shephards Hill reserve, which isn’t under Mitcham councils control. The link is here: http://www.amtbc.com/MTBCommunity/TrailAccess/Action-Alert---Shepherds-Hill.asp and while you’re doing it, respond to the Sturt Gorge one as well as the Mitcham trails will once again be potentially above this area.
http://www.amtbc.com/MTBCommunity/TrailAccess/Action-Alert---Sturt-Gorge.asp
With legal trails in Shepherds by the State government and legal trails in the reserves above it by the local council, this will truly be a great place to ride.
Other areas such as Lyton (Windies) still have access problems at the top. It’s hoped that with the opening of Eagle MTB parks (verrry soon), non MTBers will be able to see for the first time these sustainable legal trails we keep telling them about. This enlightenment should make the difference in some of the trickier areas (think Windies, Randos, Andos). Yes it’s a shame all the DH areas are so hard to get open, but from all reports you guys are pretty sketchy on the Eagle DH, so maybe get that wired first!
Thanks for everyones support, merry Christmas. Rod can/should be contacted at Mitcham Council every Thurs and Fri. email him: mountainbike@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au
If you have any querries email him or drop me a line.
That’s all for now, rock Eagle for me!
Scratchy
