Fight for The Grove!

unitec

unitec

Likes Dirt
Feed back

The feed back I have so far from the councillors although not negative makes me feel that a case will still need to be made on the night. So I think that it is still worth encouraging as many people as possible to turn up on the night.
 
O

Oliver.

Liquid Productions
Burgertron said:
Just thought I would let you all know that after sending an email to Mayor Jean Hay and "cc"ing all the other councillors i received very positive responses from Adele Heasman and Mark Norek and acknowledgment from Jean Hay.
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Yes, I did the same, and got the same responses. I know that Adele had a son who actually used to frequent the grove years ago when he used to ride. (also on farkin too). Mark, as Dave mentioned before is in full support and seems to be someone who could really help us (and already has!)

Just send those emails people!

Here's mine in case anybody wants some ideas:

Dear Council Member,

My name is Oliver Smith, I am 20 years old, currently in my third year studying Law, and I am an avid Mountain biker and Filmmaker.

Summary:
• Mountain Bikers are in desperate need for a place to ride
• We are the most obese nation in the world, and it is reflected by our lacklustre attitude toward alternative recreational facilities
• Council supplies many sporting facilities to mainstream sports, which only account for a portion of the overall need and want for alternative sports
• As a community we have lost many of our revered places, and are now facing extinction or the option of moving into volatile National Parks to steer clear of development and land destruction
• The Playstation generation needs a place to build community values, work ethic and commitment. A place to experience natural (and healthy) highs, instead of turning to drug and alcohol abuse to stave off their boredom and lack of places to go or things to do


First and foremost, as a Mountain biker (not denoted as cross country/cycling but specifically Downhill, Dirt Jumping and Skate-park riding style) it shocks me to realise that there are STILL no facilities that have been made available to us as a community. Skate-parks are not designed for Mountain Bikers (regardless of the fact that we do not have any in our area anyway) and any place we can ride is deemed off-limits. The only place for us to ride is the road, where we get haphazardly abused and brushed aside, if not run over and killed by a person juggling their morning coffee and mobile phone conversation on their way to work.

We need a place to ride. After recently losing The Grove after thirty years of its existence, we are beginning to get very concerned and desperate as a community.

We are now the most obese nation in the world, and this is reflected by our lifestyle, and the lacklustre attitude of the Council toward supplying alternative sporting facilities to non-mainstream sports. I do not want to come off as condescending, but we have begun to reach our limit. After losing so many spots, where can we turn? The National Park perhaps? An attempt to build there may be our only next option as it is the only place the council cannot seed more developments.

There is no safe place for children and Youth to go, nowhere to turn for recreation beyond football ovals which, for most parts of the weekend is taken up by organised sport (which the majority of youths would only participate in for a minimal period of their life), and skate-parks which are overcrowded by skaters and others attempting to enjoy it.

We need alternatives. The Play station generation begs the Council to understand why. What else is left for us if we lose The Grove forever? There is only one adequate place to ride left now, shared between all the dirt-jump riders in Sydney. What happens if that disappears?

The most obese nation in the world will simply get fatter; youth will turn to harder drugs, smoking, drinking and graffiti. At least in their drug-induced states they may find some shallow happiness and rush.

It paints a bleak picture for our future. But if you are so willing to supply Football, Netball, Basketball, Tennis, Swimming, Aerobics…etc… facilities; you must realise that there is a huge and growing need for a facility for Mountain Bikers.

Not Skaters, not Cross-Country riders, not Cyclists: a large, Bike-Friendly facility, a location for us to build our own Dirt Jumps and trails. Given our number, and our commitment toward sustainable locations, it can be easily achieved, and will be well used and appreciated.

There are so many of us, in so many aspects of the sport that we overcrowd skate parks (which we are not legally allowed to ride for the most part) and many of the better known (illegal) riding locales in Sydney are faced with a huge influx of riders every weekend. Go down to Oxford Falls on a Sunday, and you will see hundreds of Mountain Bikers unloading their bikes and riding down the side of the mountain. It has become a small Perisher, without lift access. Places where there are illegal trails generate large numbers of riders, many who come to help build and maintain, and put the shovel down for a few golden hours of riding before the sun sets. We as a community have recently lost many places close to our hearts. Council see the liability issues, and are quick to react. They bring in huge bulldozers, which wreak more destruction than anything that has ever been created by us as a community, and leave the place looking like a battlefield, with absolutely no intention of regenerating it.

As a community, we encourage people to build and maintain respectable places to ride and jump. In our current areas we clear out all rubbish left by visitors daily, and we offer some fantastic advantages to other youth related activities. Instead of a group of thirteen, fifteen, seventeen-year old ‘mall rats’ smoking and drinking, abusing and stealing; we are a coherent community with strong values that reward hard work. Many of the figureheads of our sport are involved in other aspects of the community; such as the local church or youth group, and we strictly enforce a lifestyle without drugs, drinking or graffiti.

We have been shunned and escorted out of everywhere else, and all that is now left for us is being yet again taken away. What next? We can only hope that you may now realise that we are simply a sporting and recreation community that needs somewhere to go.

I am looking forward to the outcome of the motion to support re-building The Grove, and will be present to voice my opinion on the 10th November meeting. However, it is only with your support that we may able to move forward and return to a place we sorely miss.

Regards,
Oliver Smith
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unitec

unitec

Likes Dirt
Great outcomes

Burgertron said:
I wasnt able to be there...what happened ??:confused:
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Evening started off with about a dozen or so guys rolling up to the council chambers on BMX bikes, taking them in through the big old wooden doors & up stairs to a safe place just outside the public gallery. (Really turned some heads.)
The meeting seemed to go on for hours before Dave had his turn before council. Pretty gruelling questions from the councillors didn’t seem to phase Dave & by the end of it one councillor pledged to donate a Months of his own pay to the cause and the others were all making speeches in support. (They loved him)
The only people causing any issues where the general manager (the guy responsible for the destruction) & the Greens councillor who were well out numbered by the enormous amount support from the others.
In my view the night was a success in that the motion was passed however 2 remaining issues i.e Risk management & land ownership mean that the battle is not yet over (although I think it’s getting close)
One thing worth noting (apart from the outstanding performance by Dave) is the support crew that turned up on the night & sat for hours waiting to be heard and remaining respectful through out. I really believe that this alone earned the respect of many of the councillors.
One suggestion for anyone who wrote to the councillors asking for support would be to send a follow up note thanking them for their support. (I will get mine out tomorrow.)
One of the other guys who attended may have another take on things.
Cheers
 
dcrofty

dcrofty

Eats Squid
unitec said:
One thing worth noting (apart from the outstanding performance by Dave) is the support crew that turned up on the night & sat for hours waiting to be heard and remaining respectful through out. I really believe that this alone earned the respect of many of the councillors.
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That's great to hear. Well done everyone. The kind of goodwill and support that kind of thing can generate is priceless.

unitec said:
One suggestion for anyone who wrote to the councillors asking for support would be to send a follow up note thanking them for their support.
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Yes good idea, I will try and punch something out as well.

Its usual practice for the minutes of council meetings to be online afterwards. Does anyone have a link to these? I could wade through their website and find them but if anyone has a link it would be great, that way I can see some of the dissenting opinions and address them in my letters.
 
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Tristan23

Tristan23

Farkin guerilla
Dave (Croft) - Just to let you know, the Mayor actually bought up the letter you'd sent, noting the fact you were over in Canada but were still supporting the cause.

So well done dude..you definitely added another level to our argument.
 
dcrofty

dcrofty

Eats Squid
Tristan23 said:
Dave (Croft) - Just to let you know, the Mayor actually bought up the letter you'd sent, noting the fact you were over in Canada but were still supporting the cause.

So well done dude..you definitely added another level to our argument.
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Cool. Glad I could help.
 
pyrop

pyrop

Likes Bikes
Even though the fight is not over it looks like you all did a good job, well done!

Not sure if this info has been used for this case but I have found some info that you guys & girls may be able to use, with this case & other similar cases.
http://www.cyclingpromotion.com.au/content/view/299/9/
This states how bicycles have out sold cars for the last 8 years in a row.
Yet the govts build more & more roads but very little in the way of facilities for cyclists in general.

Cheers
Paul:D
 
NickM91

NickM91

Likes Dirt
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chino79

chino79

Likes Dirt
Hey lads, can some one who is involved in The Grove give me a PM re the proposed approval, I am currently doing some work that could generate some good publicty. I need some one to talk to. PM a phone nunber or get back to me and I will give you mine so we can discuss, Cheers.
 
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