NSW GreenValleys Freeride Park - the approval process.

bikesarefun

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Got a meeting on monday 29th on site with flora and fauna expert ryan smithers form eco aus and steve richardson form cowman stoddart (nowra) to discuss new changes and come up with a new proposal..

fingers crossed that they come up with a positive view on the use of the existing fire road for shuttling and also that the new carpark area will be deemed to be "acceptable" from a land use perspective..

Other issues such as visual impact and fragmentation of agricultural land will be discussed..

I'm pulling my hair out right now..
Seriously. Won't all the retards and farkwits in this country just piss off and let us ride bikes.

Hump a tree. Marry a sheep. I couldn't care less. Just let us get on with having our own fun.
 

5h1f7y

Likes Dirt
G'Day mate,

I'm stoked to see your still on the war path.

Here's wishing you and the park an opening date for 2011!

Pete
 

sullivanvizual

Likes Dirt
hey,

Your determination is amazing to keep moving forward...

I can see you are giving this 110% effort and I am hoping you will be rewarded greatly.

Its amazing how people will just say flat no before they even realise what this will do for MTB in Australia and the World and aswell as the shell Harbour region...

Its kind of like National Parks around thredbo they have this insane place to run world class DH,Slopestyle,4x events but not they wont put in more than 2+ DH trails...its just crazy really.
Thredbo just has to look over seas at the success of ski resorts in summer and realise how much money they are missing out on.Mt Buller is on it for sure .

Keep it up .
 
just to give you guys an update out there.

I've got a new planning department on board - Cowman Stoddart ( based in Nowra ) and a new flora and fauna study is currently underway.

A new submission paper for council will be ready by the end of feb and my website will be updated to show the submission.

I've found out from the first attempt which took 17 months to get looked at that the council had issues with the road access and also had issues with the campground..

The RTA have provided me documentation that they will support the new access road proposed so thats a win. Then when the new submission papers are ready, I will be sitting down with NSW dept of state planning, shellharbour council, my planning team and nutting out whatever issues are left..

Its a shame that i really can understand all the comments i hear and read about how far behind we are in this country with regards to mtb access and trails..

Greenvalleys is still battling away for the right to provide a mountain bike facility on private property..

nick
 

Busiboy

Squid
Congratulations for your progress so far, you mightn't think it but from someone who has been in and around property development for a number of years you are making good progress.

Best of luck with your new planners, these are the guys that make things happen. When the council tells you you can't do something, get them to explain why, in detail, in writing, you might find that the answers change.

If it is zoned for agricultural activities make sure you have cattle and goats, there are untold benefits that I will happily explain in a PM.

You mentioned a primitive campground, you might find council will be happier with a more developed camping site, maybe even a few cabins etc. More is often better as you are seen as adding to the area not just tacking something on.

As for the other issues, offer to fence off protected colonies (if possible) to encourage bio diversity. Allow to landscape along the road to improve the visual ammentity, other than that I think you have done a lot of good work. By all means take the advice of your planners over my ramblings as my council area will have a different LEP and councillors which I am not familiar with, but these would be my little nuggets of wisdom to keep in the back of your head.

If you like feel free to PM me with any thing that seems to be sticking for you and I'll dream up an idea to help out :D

Best of luck, don't give up adn keep persisting!

Scott
 
So its coming down to crunch time..

First submission was knocked back.. New submission will be ready in about a week or two, I'll post it up on my website for all to read.

I've got some good support for the project now..
- chamber of commerce albion park
- tourism shellharbour
- waiting to hear a response from tourism wollongong - but phone call sounded promising
- SCUM are supporting the project
- WMBC are supporting the project
- Rocky Trail are supporting the project
- hopefully Wild Horizons (Huw) will come on board and support my proposal. They do big events in the southern highlands.
- E petitions printed out and ready to go in a huge pile of paper..
- the RTA support the proposal

Hopefully the strategic planners can see the importance of the project for not only tourism but also for the sport in general. A lega MTB facility is needed down this neck of the woods.

Fingers crossed that shellharbour council can see a way for this project to work within their boundaries of environmental and land management stratagies..

Ive spent $15000 on this project and if it doesn't happen this time, i'm not going at it again....

Nick
 

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
Top work Nick.

We're all approved for our project except for a site walk... been waiting on council to organise that since February 5th. Had to do a pre site walk with council officers on Feb 27th to conduct a risk assessment of the actual site walk.... Silly chick doing the assessment turned up in sandles and a skirt... Still waiting on the report from that. (Where's the yawn emoicon?)

Keep at it mate.
 
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outtacontrol

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Seems almost criminal that a couple of pen pushers can make things so difficult, for what appears to be a well organised and constructed facility, that people obviously want to ride. :mad::mad:

Good luck guys, lets hope common sense prevails.
 

CresoDH

Likes Dirt
It just pisses me off so much when someone goes to as much effort as this guy has to create something for everyone that this council wont come to the party you must be a patient bloke i know i would,ve snapped by now GOOD LUCK:mad::confused::mad:
 
The Final Hours

So the time has finally come...

To summarise

A proposal for a mtb facility on a private property in tongarra was forwarded to council that was asking for an allowance clause on the current zoning ( rural / environmental management ) to allow for the activity of mountain biking to be legally conducted.

This proposal was rejected for a variety of reasons.

The issues that council had, have now been thoroughly addressed and I have a meeting with council Thursday 23rd at 12 noon, with the strategic planners Shellharbour, and the Department of State Planning (Wollongong).

The initial consultations and setbacks I encountered were extremely fustrating as the issues council had could all have been addressed if council showed some due process to my application by saying "hey nick, we are going to have some issues here , you need to fix them if you want this to work " .

The issue of a zoning requests fall into the Local Environment Plans(LEP) that councils do. Shellharbours LEP for the next 10 years is now up on exhibition and i have a very short window of 8 weeks to get this proposal through.

I have gained some immense support for the project and I can only hope , that with the experience of my previous consultations, council will be able to offer advise on HOW to make this project work if they don't agree with the approval from the RTA for road access , the expert ecological assessment of the proposal on the property, and the support from
- Tourism Shellharbour
- Tourism Wollongong
- Neville Fredericks from Milton Brook ( Tullimbar project )
- The Chamber of Commerce Albion Park
- Rocky Trail Entertainment
- the 3000 e petions supporting the proposal
- The Wollongong Mountain Bike Club

I also have another meeting on the 29th with the administrator of shellharbour council to summarise my submission to council.

I'v tried my very best to get australia's first private mountain bike facility approved for legal public use.

If it does get approved , it won't dissapoint..

send out the vibes people

Nick Haertsch
 

Isildur

The Real Pedant
Great work! I'll be thinking of the park, and your efforts, every day leading up to, and including, your meetings with the staff & administration!

Good luck!
 
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