Stromlo Upgrade approved

johnny

I'll tells ya!
Staff member
Couldn't find a dedicated Stromlo thread, link me if I missed it.


Westside set for new Stromlo Forest home

Released 08/06/2017
http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_gove...2017/westside-set-for-new-stromlo-forest-home

Stromlo Forest Park will get even better facilities with the main Westside structure set to move to the popular area.

Westside was designed to be able to be relocated to areas across the city where there is a temporary gap in space for retail and hospitality trade such as Stromlo Forest Park which attracts thousands of visitors every week.

The structure will provide additional visitor facilities for the wide range of park users. This may include a café as well as opportunities for bike hire and servicing.The Government will advertise for expressions of interest in operating business at the site.

The Stromlo Forest Park masterplan includes retail facilities in the precinct, as well as playing fields and a gondola operating from the car park to the peak of Mount Stromlo. The Government will be providing these investments over the coming years, with the Westside structure providing temporary facilities until these investments are made.

The relocated structure will be established at ground level, rather than elevated as at West Basin and will be reconfigured and improved to better suit its new location.

Two of the containers in the tower structure are privately owned and will be returned to their owners during the deconstruction and removal process.Two other containers, owned by the Territory, will be used to provide suitable spaces for a future café, bike repair facilities and storage.

Government-owned containers not needed at the Stromlo site have already been requested for use by other parts of government for storage.

The new facility at Stromlo Forest Park is expected to be ready for use later this year.

- Statement ends -



I would prefer to see more trails or something different than a gondola. Not sure that hill is high enough to warrant such a thing - interested to see what it will cost to ride it.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
I would prefer to see more trails or something different than a gondola. Not sure that hill is high enough to warrant such a thing - interested to see what it will cost to ride it.
I saw some work men prepping the container site yesterday. Interesting idea to build a bit more infrastructure there; not sure that I would use it, but then I'm a ten minute ride away. Out of town visitors would benefit, as a visitor you could fit a lot more riding into a day if there was food etc..

Don't think I would use the gondola, but people hitting the DH and Vapour trails would probably appreciate it.

I'd love to see more single track over the back.

If they developed the western slopes to the same degree as the front you could put together some really long rides. One of the great things about Kowen and Sparrow is that feeling of being out in the forest miles from anywhere.

I'm assuming more mtb trail would be a hard sell to the government as it's pretty damn good already.
 

k3n!f

leaking out the other end
I would prefer to see more trails or something different than a gondola.
Especially given there is a road to the top. Those allergic to climbing can already organise their own shuttles if they really don't want to ride up.

I think the money would be better spent on some new trails down the western side to keep it fresh.

Still good to hear there is ongoing commitment from the ACT Gov to support mountain biking!
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I would prefer to see more trails or something different than a gondola. Not sure that hill is high enough to warrant such a thing - interested to see what it will cost to ride it.
As a gravity rider with no friends to shuttle with I'd still agree with you about the gondola. When did these things become the be all and end all of gravity? The location already has a sealed road to the summit. It's a long way around so sealing the locked dirt road and opening that up would be a better investment. Even allowing some competition in for shuttle services would be good. Then throw the cash at trails and trail maintenance. Places like this would benefit from having a small workforce permanently on site keeping things in shape andorganising working days with volunteers. Shit even a ski patrol style first aid service wouldn't hurt, there was a lot of families on site and that feeling of safety often encourages more users to turn up and have a go.

I do like the idea of food and coffee on site, even a bike shop. It is both a service for users and revenue generator for the land manager, which can in turn be rolled over to trail maintenance.

Australia is pretty slow at understanding the whole bike park concept, some places better/worse than others...like nsw. I like to imagine them in a similar way to a ski field and the services provided to enhance both the user experience and revenue.
 

Shinigami

Likes Dirt
I'd love to see more single track over the back.

If they developed the western slopes to the same degree as the front you could put together some really long rides. One of the great things about Kowen and Sparrow is that feeling of being out in the forest miles from anywhere.


From the master plan they're trying to get other things that would use the gondola before putting it in. One was tourism to the top of Stromlo, the Astrophys people and I saw the suggestion of gravity powered sleds/go kart things
I'm assuming more mtb trail would be a hard sell to the government as it's pretty damn good already.
MTB trails on the western side are listed in the master plan and would be started before any more sorting facilities due to their proposed location wiping out the bottom half of loop 1

Before they put the gondola in they stated they were looking for other use cases such as tourism to the top of Stromlo, the Astrophys school and some sort of gravity powered sleds/go kart things
 
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Haakon

Keeps on digging
Given we are losing trails in Canberra and the Arboretum doesn't look like being decent MTB trails, I'd rather they forgo the coffee shop and spend it on trails...

But getting the punters in is what its about I suppose so whatever....
 

johnny

I'll tells ya!
Staff member
I haven't seen the full master plan yet and am unsure about sleds and whatnot but I'm skeptical about the viability of shops there. Surely most weekdays the place will be a ghost town.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
A gondola will be a very attractive investment and it will double the amount of people riding the gravity stuff, no question. It will get tons more young dudes on bikes and into downhill and will make the area even more accessible.
You have got it VERY good in Canberra. You have a huge amount of trails, you've got good money being invested into the sport with intention of growth and you have road without pot holes. As far as the riding goes, you are immensely spoilt for choice and from the outside looking in, you have no reason to be upset about the lack of riding.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
I haven't seen the full master plan yet and am unsure about sleds and whatnot but I'm skeptical about the viability of shops there. Surely most weekdays the place will be a ghost town.
I'd think you would be pretty spot on to say that. A mate took on a lease here in the Brisbane CBD on the river with a food/coffee van, tons of customers on the weekends like roadies, runners, walkers and the odd skater. During the week only a few workers from the local buildings, the lease was the killer in the end.
 

Shinigami

Likes Dirt
The cafe up top manages to run all week so one down the bottom shouldn't be too bad.

I would have loved a local bike shop last fortnight when I managed to snap my chain half way through blue gums
 
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Haakon

Keeps on digging
As far as the riding goes, you are immensely spoilt for choice and from the outside looking in, you have no reason to be upset about the lack of riding.
It is true, and we are not complaining as such. Sad at losing some primo Kowen trails, but there is still plenty of great stuff to console ourselves with.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
I haven't seen the full master plan yet and am unsure about sleds and whatnot but I'm skeptical about the viability of shops there. Surely most weekdays the place will be a ghost town.
I do most of my riding mid-week, and at any one time there's usually at least half a dozen cars in the car park.

Whether that's enough to sustain these businesses I don't know.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I haven't seen the full master plan yet and am unsure about sleds and whatnot but I'm skeptical about the viability of shops there. Surely most weekdays the place will be a ghost town.
Realistic pricing on the lease is the important part there. A good way to set that out (without really loosing out too much for either party) is to set a low rent and a turnover benchmark above which the landlord receives a % of your takings. From what it said in the article you quoted they are dropping shipping containers in, some of which have been repurchased from elsewhere. That sounds like a low cost investment (new a naked container can be sourced for about $1-5k depending on size etc) so I would expect the lease to also be low. I was a bit surprised that there wasn't any food trucks out there already. Canberra is so far behind the trends...do you need us to mail out some hipsters?
 

mark22

Likes Dirt
Realistic pricing on the lease is the important part there. A good way to set that out (without really loosing out too much for either party) is to set a low rent and a turnover benchmark above which the landlord receives a % of your takings. From what it said in the article you quoted they are dropping shipping containers in, some of which have been repurchased from elsewhere. That sounds like a low cost investment (new a naked container can be sourced for about $1-5k depending on size etc) so I would expect the lease to also be low. I was a bit surprised that there wasn't any food trucks out there already. Canberra is so far behind the trends...do you need us to mail out some hipsters?
Not enough smashed avocado is the problem by the look's of it.
 

johnny

I'll tells ya!
Staff member
A gondola will be a very attractive investment and it will double the amount of people riding the gravity stuff, no question. It will get tons more young dudes on bikes and into downhill and will make the area even more accessible.
You have got it VERY good in Canberra. You have a huge amount of trails, you've got good money being invested into the sport with intention of growth and you have road without pot holes. As far as the riding goes, you are immensely spoilt for choice and from the outside looking in, you have no reason to be upset about the lack of riding.
No doubt about that, this is MTB Mecca for Australia. Although, we are about to take a pretty hefty hit with both Kowen being logged (70% of trails being lost out there in the next 5 years) and Majura getting logged as of October, based on latest scheduling.

The goal will be to bounce back though. After Kowen is logged we are allowed to go straight back in and start building. Will be a big hit to the Kowalski Bros given the unfathomable amount of work they've put in but no point crying over spilled milk, only digging will get the trails going again.

Regards the gondola bringing more riders to the hill, I agree but to a point. Canberra is a small town and Stromlo is a small hill. They'll have to be aiming towards bringing more interstate riders in and to do that they will have to offer numerous routes down the hill as you won't travel here for only 2 trail options. Although, I am yet to see it but that Vapour Trail may have notched up a 3rd route.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Vapour is quite a good trail. It is mostly for advanced level riders though, with not much on offer in between p-lines and pro-lines. I saw plenty of riders on it over the weekend, and most were p-liners. The trail is a big step up from Hero as far as balls to the wall. I think some wider appeal wouldn't hurt and would also keep less skilled riders out of the way on trails like vapour.

There is plenty of space on the mountain for trails, jumps, berms, and so on. One could easily see a redwoods style park being well suited to the space. For me shuttles trumps gondola for both up front investment, ongoing maintenance, and rider cost per day/up. Plenty of people travel domestically and internationally to ride Redwoods and Derby, which I feel shows upper for such a set up.

What is Canberra airport like for tourism?
 

slimjim1

Fat boomers cloggin' ma leaderboard
I would prefer to see more trails or something different than a gondola. Not sure that hill is high enough to warrant such a thing - interested to see what it will cost to ride it.
Agreed. A gondola would look pretty out of place on that little hill.

Some better security/CCTV in the carparks is something that needs doing ASAP given the number of cars getting broken into out there.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Some better security/CCTV in the carparks is something that needs doing ASAP given the number of cars getting broken into out there.
That is quite obviously those wierd fuckers attending race walking events. The only solution is war.
 

peanut

Likes Dirt
Agreed. A gondola would look pretty out of place on that little hill.

Some better security/CCTV in the carparks is something that needs doing ASAP given the number of cars getting broken into out there.
There is a camera out there, if anyone needs footage of a break in, contact the venue manager.
Unfortunately the new construction all around the area has attracted some opportunistic individuals, only time before the local drunk teenagers descend un masse, then got forbid the dreaded dog walkers on the trails.
 
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