ACT Greens call for clear investment plan for Stromlo Forest Park
Jo Clay MLA is calling for more community consultation at Stromlo Forest Park and a clear plan for investment into mountain biking infrastructure across the ACT.
“The ACT Greens have long championed mountain biking in the ACT and, with the right investment, believe we could be at the forefront of this exciting tourism and sporting industry,” said Ms Clay.
“However, Canberra is being left behind as a premier mountain biking destination and we need to see a recommitment to deliver on the recommendations from the 2021 Best of Canberra Mountain Biking Report.
“Canberra needs both investment in existing facilities to keep them up to date as well as investment in new trails, which hasn’t occurred in this term of the Assembly.
“In Estimates last week, the Government explained that competing infrastructure priorities has led to delays in delivering the improvements they’ve committed to for Stromlo Forest Park.
“We need a firm commitment on delivering the recommendations of the 2021 Best of Canberra Mountain Biking Report and a timeframe on delivering the $1.2M flow trail from Stromlo to Cotter.
“While the almost $3 million commitment for upgrades at Stromlo is welcome, there needs to be further consultation with regular park users, neighbours and the broader community on the proposed carpark and event spaces. We also want funding for additional upgrades to the trails in Stromlo in line with commitments made at both the 2020 election and included in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement,” said Ms Clay.
Quotes from Alan Vogt, Coordinator of Kowalski Brothers volunteer trail building group and mountain bike event organiser
“The proposed design will push park users considerably further from amenities and will dislocate the trail head. It is ill-conceived,” said Mr Vogt.
“If Stromlo Forest Park had actually consulted with regular park users they would know the single most important issue to address is the chronic underfunding of trail maintenance and lack of new trail infrastructure. The push for a surfaced carpark is purely about revenue as the existing carpark works very well and is as safe as every dirt cark park at every other trailhead in Australia.
“The frustrating thing for me is that for the same budget you could deliver a Derby-level amount of trail infrastructure and re-position Canberra as a pre-eminent destination for tourism.
“There has been no consultation with casual or regular park users or even the canvassing of opinions of members within the mountain bike clubs on this plan or the broader master plan and the result is poor.”
Background:
ACT Labor Election Commitment: https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1645831/LAB064-Nature-Tourism-Stromlo-to-Cotter-Mountain-Biking-Trail.pdf
ACT Greens Election Commitments:
- General Masterplan: https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/1641878/GRN022-Progress-the-Stromlo-Forest-Park-Masterplan.pdf
- Premier Mountain Biking Destination: https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/1644371/GRN030-Making-the-ACT-a-premier-mountain-biking-destination.pdf
- PAGA Appendix 4 – 6.2 Make Stromlo Forest Park a premier mountain biking destination by finishing the Stromlo Park Masterplan, implementing recommendations from the “Mountain Biking ACT report” and building a flow trail from Stromlo Forest Park to Cotter https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1654077/Parliamentary-Agreement-for-the-10th-Legislative-Assembly.pdf
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