All DH tracks on Blue Mountains eastern escarpment now closed

[MrCove]

just in case you haven't seen the other threads

it's the end of an era,

All DH tracks on blue mountains eastern escarpment now closed

following a meeting at Katoomba Council Buildings tonight, BMCC voted for the immediate closure of all DH tracks on the eastern escarpment

this obviously includes Old Bathurst Road, Nichols Parade etc

PLEASE DO NOT RIDE ON THESE TRACKS ANYMORE

some lower mountains residents have been wanting these trails closed for a long time, now thanks to the people responsible for the abomination at Nichols Parade, they have one.

 

[JoshP]

Really disapointed in that. Well now that we cant ride there where can we go now? does anyone know if chicken run is still ok to ride there or not? cheers.
its a sad day for un Blue Mountains DH riders.

 

[SideFX]

just in case you haven't seen the other threads

it's the end of an era,

All DH tracks on blue mountains eastern escarpment now closed

following a meeting at Katoomba Council Buildings tonight, BMCC voted for the immediate closure of all DH tracks on the eastern escarpment

this obviously includes Old Bathurst Road, Nichols Parade etc

PLEASE DO NOT RIDE ON THESE TRACKS ANYMORE

some lower mountains residents have been wanting these trails closed for a long time, now thanks to the people responsible for the abomination at Nichols Parade, they have one.

Hi Mr cove . In Big bold letters you have` Do not ride on these tracks` , is there still a chance of a overturn on this decision .

 

[thecat]

Hi Mr cove . In Big bold letters you have` Do not ride on these tracks` , is there still a chance of a overturn on this decision .

There was very chance not to have the decision made in the first place. Rider apathy let it down. A good show of numbers may well change it. We need bums on seats and letter to council. Local resident letter apparently count for more then non locals

 

[Apples_]

I wont ride the tracks, though I'm slightly curious as to what would happen if you did... Who would fine you?

 

[dhr_matt]

This sucks is all I can say.... Hmm off I go to ride some old trails today then.

 

[pocket_cup]

they can suck my reproductive organ if they think im gonna stop riding those tracks. the council doesnt know what it wants. they want kids to get out and be active, yet take every opportunity to take away what kids want to do that is active, shits me... regardless, im not going to stop riding those tracks.

 

[joey]

they can suck my reproductive organ if they think im gonna stop riding those tracks. the council doesnt know what it wants. they want kids to get out and be active, yet take every opportunity to take away what kids want to do that is active, shits me... regardless, im not going to stop riding those tracks.

Watch out for KARMA...........................................

 

[thecat]

.. regardless, im not going to stop riding those tracks.

And with attitudes like that why should council proceed with it's promise to find and build an alternative.

A lot of people are working behind the scenes to make sure we get somewhere legal, don't fark it up by being a twat.

The simple fact is that Old Bat was scheduled to be approved! Wankers who continued to ride Candy bar despite being asked not to made sure the residents campaign to shut us down gained enough momentum to reverse that recommendation and leave us where we are now, with all trails due to be shut down and rehabilitated


For the record it wasn't council staff who chose this but the elected councilors, so next election when you or your parents are wondering who to vote for remember who voted against your trails

 

[DeBloot]

Who to vote for is a good point
Are you talking local, state or federal or all 3
And how do we know who to vote for

I must admit to being a supporter of the Greens for quite a while now
But after Lee Rhiannon's condemnation of Mike Baird after his support of MTB on the Nth Beaches.
Well, I must admit I'm torn

 

[thecat]

Who to vote for is a good point
Are you talking local, state or federal or all 3
And how do we know who to vote for

Local, ratified minutes will be posted on BMCC website after their next meeting. Have a read though and see who supported the original recommendation. my advice would be give them your vote

 

[SideFX]

Its sad OBR being closed . After the first ridders/ Soren meeting and then the build day it was looking positive with numbers in the mid 30`tys . It also showed that there wasn`t allot of local ridders .
Is there any news on an alternate sight ? .

 

[pocket_cup]

so basically they want to help save the environment by removing the riders from a damaged area, and putting us in another area for us to damage (obviously not with the intention of damaging it, but there will definitely be damage done). leaving us with 2 damaged areas. yet when it comes to improving public transport to get people to drive less, getting people active, stopping kids from just loitering and underage drinking because they are bored, and climate change, no one does anything.

 

[thecat]

so basically they want to help save the environment by removing the riders from a damaged area, and putting us in another area for us to damage (obviously not with the intention of damaging it, but there will definitely be damage done). leaving us with 2 damaged areas. yet when it comes to improving public transport to get people to drive less, getting people active, stopping kids from just loitering and underage drinking because they are bored, and climate change, no one does anything.

No body said their decision was logical. Councils own report recommended formalising parts of OBR
Resident pressure caused by Candy Bar convinced the elected councilors to vote against the recommendation

 

[pocket_cup]

No body said their decision was logical. Councils own report recommended formalising parts of OBR
Resident pressure caused by Candy Bar convinced the elected councilors to vote against the recommendation

well either way, im going to continue to ride them.

 

[SideFX]

Who to vote for is a good point
Are you talking local, state or federal or all 3
And how do we know who to vote for

I must admit to being a supporter of the Greens for quite a while now
But after Lee Rhiannon's condemnation of Mike Baird after his support of MTB on the Nth Beaches.
Well, I must admit I'm torn

Vote Liberal !

 

[SideFX]

I thought the whole idea of have trail access to OBR was to contain trail building in the erea . By closing all access seems a bit strange as the outcome will be more illegal trails . I hope a new sight comes quick and we get MTB access in Emu Heights again .

 

[Spanky_Ham]

well either way, im going to continue to ride them.

Is there a competition for 'tard of the month spanky hasn't heard about? Can we still enter?

Do you really understand what your 'stance' will have on the possibility of good trails ever existing in the mountains?

really... think a-f*cking-bout it for a moment, cause its tools like you that make spanky want to chuck the whole 'let's try to get "legal" DH trails in the mountains" and yes... he's workin for you f*ckers - even though he can't ride downhill... OK!

So, really, take your head out of your arse... and stop freakn well riding trails that have been closed.... end of story. No one here agrees with the situation, but your attitude will NOT F*CKING-WELL HELP (hope them there caps expressed somewhat of the severely pissed off feeling coming from the baconated one)

s

 

[unitec]

I know that this could be a sensitive subject but would it be worth reviewing the campaign to see what went wrong?
Blaming rider apathy or riders riding the same trails that they have been riding without problem all their lives seems a bit simplistic???
Playing the blame game would be a bad idea however if there are lessons that can be learned by this exercise at least it may helpful for future efforts. Some advocacy successes seem to come from the most unconventional campaigns which leads me to think that none of us really have all the answers.

 

[thecat]

I know that this could be a sensitive subject but would it be worth reviewing the campaign to see what went wrong?

It's happening

Blaming rider apathy

9 riders turned up to the meeting. only 80 emails were sent to councilors asking them to support councils recommendation, most of them were not local to the Blue Mts. Compare this too great anti mtb campaign by disgruntled residents of Nichols pde
Also compare it to the 500 emails that went out to councilors in the weekend following the closure of Manly dam. (Manly dam was reopenned on the strength of that)

or riders riding the same trails that they have been riding without problem all their lives seems a bit simplistic???

Nichols was built in 2004. it was closed by council pretty much straight away due to resident complaints. It began to get high use again lately and again residents complained and council put up sign and dropped branches over the trail.

How is that riding it without a problem?

The problem was never riding OBR. It was riding Nichols. Continuing to riding it while negotiations over OBR was taking place despite repeated warnings not to is the very reason residents went form complaining about riders at Nichols pde to all DH riding on the escarpement. That is the major reason council recommendation to formalise OBR was rejected by councilors and a new motion to close all tracks on the Escarpment. Its not simplistic, its fact.

there is a lesson for us here. Continued use of Nichols farked it up for all trails on the eastern escarpment. Now council has offered to try and find an alternative and people are boasting on a public forum (which, as I have said time and time again, is monitored by land managers and members of the anti MTb brigade) that they are going to continue riding closed trails regardless... How do you reckon that's gong to go for us.

Playing the blame game would be a bad idea however if there are lessons that can be learned by this exercise at least it may helpful for future efforts. Some advocacy successes seem to come from the most unconventional campaigns which leads me to think that none of us really have all the answers.

They also work when people care enough to write in to council and turn up to meetings. Now there is a group being formed to advocate for fair access to trails inthe Bluies. Seems to me like the majority of them are XC riders if you really want to help rather than boasting on a public forum about defying bans contact Nerf and see what see what good you can do.