I wonder if this is the proposal that got knocked on the head .
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08...9_b0hrscW4qHUpE5P3VEdoWF5Kqlp50OHTNbDGitpMXZ8 under the heading the trail forward .
No, that’s more to do with Kincumber Mountain and some issues with trails on public lands.
Prepare for a lengthy cut n paste essay from this article
Shadow Minister for Central Coast, David Harris, has ramped up his call for a Mountain Bike Plan of Management for the Central Coast by putting the matter
coastcommunitynews.com.au
“Council started a Mountain Bike Feasibility Study in June 2019, with extensive community consultation, including 1,949 completed surveys as well as 25 targeted attendees over two face-to-face focus group discussions.
A detailed discussion paper has been prepared that presents the findings of the consultation, a review of the current locations for mountain biking on the Coast, a selection of case studies, site selection criteria, and a feasibility analysis including options and recommendations.
These will be reported to councillors by the end of October with a staff recommendation to publicly exhibit the discussion paper and undertake stage two community engagement in November.
At Council’s August 10 meeting, Deputy Mayor Jane Smith called for the establishment of a working group to consider options and potential for a dedicated mountain biking facility outside environmentally sensitive lands.
Councillors rejected Cr Smith’s Motion which effectively would have seen bikers excluded from riding in Coastal Open Space System (COSS) lands.
Cr Smith told fellow councillors that the environmental integrity of COSS lands, which were established 36 years ago by former Gosford Council in the face of community opposition, was under threat from damage inflicted by bikers.
She was backed by Cr Louise Greenaway, who said that while mountain bike riding was exhilarating, the sport was “death by a thousand cuts” for environmentally sensitive land.
“There is only so much the bush can tolerate,” she said.
Leif Arnebark, a representative of the Central Coast Mountain Trail Bike Club and a member of Central Coast Mountain Bike Trail Alliance, addressed councillors in the public forum preceding the meeting.
The club started about 20 years ago and manages Ourimbah Mountain Trail Bike Park in Ourimbah State Forest under a Forest Permit issued by Forestry Corporation of NSW.
Arnebark told councillors that the Coast was a perfect environment for mountain bikers yet had not one single metre of sanctioned mountain bike trail within its natural spaces.
He said the sport had no more environmental footprint than bushwalking and that the National Parks and Wildlife Service considered mountain bike trails to be an appropriate use of natural space.
“Residents and tourists who engage in active lifestyle pursuits within bushland grow to value that,” he said.
“It is time instead to focus on the positives that this amazing form of recreation offers.”
He said mountain bike riding was good for physical health, mental health, social interactions and conservation, and could potentially be an economic driver through ecotourism.
Arnebark said mountain biking essentially only occurred within environmental lands, with bushland being intrinsic to the sport.
“Removing mountain biking from the bush is like trying to remove surfing from the beach, one simply does not exist without the other,” he said.
He called instead for a mountain biking strategy with a formalised sustainable trail network.
Cr Bruce McLachlan said the Central Coast’s land had to be shared by the whole community and Cr Chris Holstein said that while he was a great supporter of COSS, he preferred to wait for the results of a feasibility study currently underway.
After lengthy debate, councillors voted to defer action pending the results of the Mountain Bike Feasibility Study which is expected to be ready for an October Council meeting.”
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