NSW TSR's potentially closed to MTB's ??

[GeurieMTB]

Hi all,

the NSW Govt has just released a draft planning framework for TSR's for 2016-19. So what you say? More red tape you say?

Well, currently cycling is an approved activity on TSR's under the relevant act (Local Land Services Act) and some TSR's are among the best preserved native woodlands left in the state so we, as riders and trail builders should be hunting these areas out and using them for recreation. Were doing exactly that in the Central West, the Dubbo EvoCities round was held on a TSR and the opportunity is enormous across the state.

However, the new planning framework specifically doesn't list cycling as an approved passive activity, in fact says some passive activities can be conflicting "such as bird watching and mountain biking". Bird watching, family bbq's and bushwalking are the only three listed passive recreation activities.

If the draft planning framework isn't challenged in its draft stage and cycling reinstated this network of currently accessable reserves could be lost to cycling for ever. This link will take you to the relevant web page, please have a read and consider commenting, either individually or as a club, the more support for reinstating cycling the better.

http://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/livestock/stock-routes

Cheers

 

[silentbutdeadly]

You may note that there is still a recognise role for 'active recreation' which includes fishing, trail bikes and horse riding. So there is still a part to play there for MTB...

What you have to recognise is that 'they' are trying to define what each TSR is going to be used for into the future. Is it for stock grazing, biodiversity conservation, recreation or a mix of all three? Or something else?

The idea of a framework in this context is to guide the LLS' in how these decisions could be made locally in a reasonably consistent manner across the State and in accordance with legislation. It doesn't exclude mountain bikes...

If you think TSR's are important to MTB in your area then the way to go here is to provide comment on the basis of how the MTB organisations within an LLS can best work with the LLS and other stakeholders about which TSR's are prime MTB habitat. Then the LLS has a basis in applying the framework to their area that requires then to consider MTB's as a potential land use for some TSRs.

What you as a part of an organisation need to do is identify STARTING NOW which TSR's in your area are already crucial to the MTB scene and (above all) why. What are the social, environmental and economic values that MTB brings to those TSRs and then shares with the local & wider community? After that...identify those TSRs that might be of future interest to MTB or even just recreational cycling in general (think bike pathways linking towns and villages) and then consider what values that might bring.

It is a lot of work...but then so is building trail, finding/keeping club sponsors and sourcing volunteers.

This is not an anti-MTB process. But it will require MTB to be more proactive if they want to keep their play spaces...

Heck, an MTB club might even have to become to licensed land manager. Plenty of precedence for that in NSW...many farmers lease TSRs for grazing purposes already.

[EDIT]: you should note Table A on Page 10...if you aren't already aware then should know that any construction of infrastructure for the purposes of active recreation will require approval of Crown Lands. So that won't be a LLS decision. It will happen at State level. No matter what. And active recreation will only happen in TSRs without 'high level ecological or cultural values'...if you are submitting comment then I would suggest that you request these values be 'very well defined' so that you can make a decent case at the LLS level as to why MTB should be allowed in a certain TSR...