MitchamMTB
Squid
This week, the Corporate and Community Services Committee of Council considered and endorsed two reports to progress the implementation of Council’s MTB Strategy. The decision of the Committee now needs to go before the full Council meeting for ratification. That will be in a fortnight’s time (22 May 07) but all looks positive for the MTB programme with healthy support and strong interest displayed.
This was the first time for the new Councilors to consider and debate MTB issues in the chamber. Many of the returning Councilors also took the opportunity to refresh their understanding and to update the community on their thoughts on the matter.
Up first was a report to approve a Mountain Bike Policy based on the recommendations of the Mountain Bike Strategy. What’s that do I hear you say?…can I ride on that? No but it does pave the way and confirm that Council supports the provision of recreational trails and areas for MTB riding and acknowledges that:
1. MTB riding is a valued and popular activity that brings many social and economic benefits to participants and the community;
2. MTB riding is a suitable activity to occur on selected trails in selected Council reserves subject to appropriate social and environmental conditions;
3. Council will retain its ability to apply and enforce By-laws to prevent inappropriate and unauthorised MTB riding outside of areas and trails that are set aside for riding;
4. Approval of recreational uses including MTB riding in Council reserves is contingent upon the activity having minimal impact upon other users, residents and the environment including the sensitive natural vegetation and biodiversity within Council reserves;
5. Council’s recreational trail network will be designed to contain a range of trail types to provide both shared and single use trails to provide for walking, cycling and horse riding;
6. Council’s recreational trails form part of a larger network of trails across a range of public and private land. Council will aim to integrate and coordinate its trail initiatives with those of other land managers; and
7. Existing trails in Council reserves which are not sustainability designed and constructed and maintained will require modification and/or closure.
To help riders and the community understand what “appropriate social and environmental conditions” are, Council also resolved to adopt and promote the following Mountain Bike Code of Practice.
Details of the Policy and Code of Practice are contained in the reports and will be posted on the Council website when ratified by Council at it’s meeting on 22 May 07
After that the decisions turned towards which trails are going to be authorised for riding, when and how. In short, Council resolved to support the approach recommended by staff for implementing the Mountain Bike Strategy which is based upon the:
a. provision of legal MTB riding opportunities on existing trails
b. extension and enhancement of existing legal trails; and
c. preparation and implementation of detailed Trail Development Plans for each zone.
Then Councilors authorsied Council staff to progress some specific projects including:
1. Investigate and prepare plans and cost estimates for Stage 2 of trail sustainability improvements for the Pony Ridge Trail in partnership with the Department of Environment and Heritage and adjoining land owner,
2. Subject to Development Approval, work cooperatively with Department of Environment and Heritage to implement an extension of the shared use trail network being developed in the Brownhill Creek Recreation Park to extend and link the trail northwards on McElligots Reserve CT Volume 5753 Folio 926 to integrate with Council’s existing trail network (Peter Nelson Trail).
3. Prepare a trail development plan for Zone 2 (Lynton Reserves and Sleeps Hill Reserve), undertake community consultation and report back to Council with the intent to implement a diverse range of mountain bike riding opportunities in Zone 2.
That’s the overview. The reports are available here:
http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/CCS-8May07-ag2.pdf
then Go to pages 35 to 50
This was the first time for the new Councilors to consider and debate MTB issues in the chamber. Many of the returning Councilors also took the opportunity to refresh their understanding and to update the community on their thoughts on the matter.
Up first was a report to approve a Mountain Bike Policy based on the recommendations of the Mountain Bike Strategy. What’s that do I hear you say?…can I ride on that? No but it does pave the way and confirm that Council supports the provision of recreational trails and areas for MTB riding and acknowledges that:
1. MTB riding is a valued and popular activity that brings many social and economic benefits to participants and the community;
2. MTB riding is a suitable activity to occur on selected trails in selected Council reserves subject to appropriate social and environmental conditions;
3. Council will retain its ability to apply and enforce By-laws to prevent inappropriate and unauthorised MTB riding outside of areas and trails that are set aside for riding;
4. Approval of recreational uses including MTB riding in Council reserves is contingent upon the activity having minimal impact upon other users, residents and the environment including the sensitive natural vegetation and biodiversity within Council reserves;
5. Council’s recreational trail network will be designed to contain a range of trail types to provide both shared and single use trails to provide for walking, cycling and horse riding;
6. Council’s recreational trails form part of a larger network of trails across a range of public and private land. Council will aim to integrate and coordinate its trail initiatives with those of other land managers; and
7. Existing trails in Council reserves which are not sustainability designed and constructed and maintained will require modification and/or closure.
To help riders and the community understand what “appropriate social and environmental conditions” are, Council also resolved to adopt and promote the following Mountain Bike Code of Practice.
Details of the Policy and Code of Practice are contained in the reports and will be posted on the Council website when ratified by Council at it’s meeting on 22 May 07
After that the decisions turned towards which trails are going to be authorised for riding, when and how. In short, Council resolved to support the approach recommended by staff for implementing the Mountain Bike Strategy which is based upon the:
a. provision of legal MTB riding opportunities on existing trails
b. extension and enhancement of existing legal trails; and
c. preparation and implementation of detailed Trail Development Plans for each zone.
Then Councilors authorsied Council staff to progress some specific projects including:
1. Investigate and prepare plans and cost estimates for Stage 2 of trail sustainability improvements for the Pony Ridge Trail in partnership with the Department of Environment and Heritage and adjoining land owner,
2. Subject to Development Approval, work cooperatively with Department of Environment and Heritage to implement an extension of the shared use trail network being developed in the Brownhill Creek Recreation Park to extend and link the trail northwards on McElligots Reserve CT Volume 5753 Folio 926 to integrate with Council’s existing trail network (Peter Nelson Trail).
3. Prepare a trail development plan for Zone 2 (Lynton Reserves and Sleeps Hill Reserve), undertake community consultation and report back to Council with the intent to implement a diverse range of mountain bike riding opportunities in Zone 2.
That’s the overview. The reports are available here:
http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/CCS-8May07-ag2.pdf
then Go to pages 35 to 50