Dear BMCC,

As a members of the Blue Mountains mountain biking (MTB) community, local resident and active user of the Knapsack reserve, we implore the BMCC to include a dedicated and holistic plan for the upgrading of mountain biking facilities and biking infrastructure on the eastern escarpment in the management plans for Knapsack and Lapstone reserves.

With appreciation for the BMCC’s imperative for cultural and environmental conservation of these areas, significantly upgraded MTB facilities will help, not detract from these goals. Professionally designed and constructed trails (better than what is present) would be less impactful on the environment; protecting water courses and against erosion. Better, more diverse facilities would reduce the construction of unauthorised trails in other areas. Community engagement would assist in construction, maintenance and sustainable use.

These concepts have been demonstrated in MTB developments around NSW but lacking from the BMCC approach to date. BMCC should look to examples such as Lithgow, Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai councils, to improve community, economic, recreational and environmental outcomes through the construction of environmentally sensitive, high quality, for-purpose MTB facilities and infrastructure in bushland reserves around Sydney.

The MTB community in the lower mountains is growing, dedicated to riding and understanding of the council’s concerns about bushland use. A better partnership for the development of a quality MTB facility and biking infrastructure would help the BMCC achieve its goals concerning the eastern escarpment while adding recreational opportunities for local residents. A plan to this end must be included in any future designs for the Knapsack and Lapstone bushland reserves.

The PoM for Knapsack and Lapstone reserves must include provisions to ensure that:

·         BMCC engages with the local mountain biking community, AusCycling and Mountain Biking Australia with a commitment  to establish a high-quality, for-purpose recreational facility in the near future

·         BMCC engages professional trail builders to design and undertake works to improve the condition and engineering of cross-country trails in the Knapsack reserve

·         BMCC consults with other councils who have successfully developed superior mountain biking facilities (Hornsby, Lithgow)

·         BMCC undertakes works to improve signposting, directional usage and separation of walking and riding trails in Knapsack reserve

·         Parking and toilet facilities are developed – most sensibly integrated with Knapsack oval

·         The development of a cycling corridor through the old Glenbrook tunnel includes cycling connections with existing Knapsack facilities

·         Ensure compatibility with the proposed but yet to be delivered Eastern Escarpment Mountain Bike Plan (seriously, why is this not mentioned in either PoM action plan).

Plans for the evaluation, consultation, future maintenance and development of mountain biking facilities must be explicitly included in action items for the Plan of Management for Knapsack and Lapstone reserves