In June this year two reports appeared on the Best of Canberra Your Say website, a Final Canberra Mountain Bike Report and a Draft Trail Development Plan. This was somewhat of a surprise since ACTEA and the ACT Endurance Riders Association understood from a meeting with Parks in August that they would “arrange a meeting with ACTERA once a trail designer has been engaged to work through best case scenarios”. There has been no consultation of any sort with the trail designer and the project officer has departed, so there will be no more consultation until such time as new money is assigned to the project.
Both ACTEA and ACTERA have made written submissions to this project and expected to see our comments and concerns reflected in the next stage of the project. Stromlo Forest Park have advised that their comments on the West Stromlo element of the project have also been ignored.
Stromlo is in consultation with ACTEA with the intent of making West Stromlo more attractive to horse riders and this purpose is hardly made easier by external parties drawing MTB lines across trails now being used by horse riders. ACTERA has made a submission to SFP in relation to the impact of the Final Report on West Stromlo which is used for training and events for the endurance community.
ACTEA is aware the proposed link between Stromlo and Blue Range has the potential to impact negatively on Uriarra Village as well as the ability for ACTERA to conduct and train for the nearly 40 year old Brookvale Ride.
You can read the paperwork relating to the Best of Canberra on the Your Say page at https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/CanberraMTBExperience.
The Final Report is at https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app.act-yoursay.files/3816/2379/8221/Att_B_-_Canberra_Mountain_Bike_Report_2021_A29055770.pdf.
The maps in these documents are extremely poor and take some patience to decipher.
Parks have assured ACTEA that we will be kept in the loop but it interesting that the only bodies that have been recognised as stakeholders in the documentation of this project are cyclists or bodies that make money from cycling. We should know more at the budget in August September.
ACTEA is interesting in hearing any comments you may have in relation to the available documentation.
