We had a very positive meeting at the track this morning with Councillors Tracey Gilmore ( division 5 ) and Glenn Tozer ( division 9 ).
They are supportive of our cause so now the ball is back in our court to get organised asap. We need to create a club so we can be officially recognized and enlist as many members as possible. Then we can start the official communications. Will let you know soon how you can become a member :thumb:
Good news, great to hear you guys may well get to keep your trails and keep working on them.
I don't want to dampen anyone's spirits but them saying you need a club to be recognised it utter shit. All it will do is give them an avenue to blame someone else and shift any responsibility in the event of any injuries or damage to the land straight back onto the club members. I've been down this road and while it is a good thing to have a ton of enthusiastic people sign a petition, having them act on it and fill members of the committee in a responsible way can be a damn nightmare.
I dare say that area would encompass some BMX tracks or walking tracks that people volunteer to maintain and still use but they aren't necessarily part of any club; they do it because they want to. To me, the guys that build and maintain that trail do it because they want to be there and want to ride it. I'd go so far as to say that bunch of guys is basically a club anyway but without the political crap you have to put on paper to satisfy someone who is just waiting for you to trip over and shut you down.
Be careful as to what you agree to guys. I've never come across a council or government department that does anything other than take too damn long to do anything and then throw the book in your direction if they see a chance.
It is embarrassing how far behind the rest of the world Australia is with land access and recreational sports like mountain biking. Hopefully things can start moving and get people out riding and building great trails.