Thursday 4 June - 

Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [6.20 p.m.]: There is concern within my electorate that a favourite and growing recreational sport, mountain bike riding, is under threat on the northern beaches. At issue are the apparent moves by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to restrict access to riding tracks. I have received reports of bars and locked gates being replaced across tracks. My concern is that we should be promoting people getting out and enjoying the environment, not barring them, particularly during this time of increasing obesity in Australia. It is a popular sport and has enormous potential to bring people together in our community but, once more, we appear to have government action without appropriate consultation.

Concerns regarding access to the bike tracks have been raised by people involved in the Northern Beaches Mountain Biking Group, who have put together an Oxford Falls plan of management, which is outstanding—the research, the objectivity, the presentation and the argument are first-class. The group is a web-based community group with a membership of around 1,600. They are passionate about their sport and want to retain access to key riding tracks that they previously have been able to use. These tracks are in the Oxford Falls area and the Bantry Bay loop track opposite Manly dam.

A number of members of the group contacted my office and confirmed that fences and bars have been placed across tracks, restricting access for bike riders. I take issue with the fact that this was done without consultation. Officially, mountain biking is only permitted on fire trails in national parks. The biking group claims that this is not practical as trails are suitable as an introductory level but do not create the challenge that more advanced riders seek. There had been an informal arrangement that still allowed people to bike in these alternative areas, but it appears that this arrangement is at an end. There are concerns that there is a new direction at the National Parks and Wildlife Service to keep the bikes out, but there has been no consultation, which should happen as a priority. This is happening not just on the northern beaches but across the State.

I understand that people have concerns that bike riders will damage the environment, and I share those concerns passionately. We want to protect and preserve our environment at every possible opportunity and if informal tracks are allowed with bikes going everywhere damage to the environment may occur. Cathy Griffin from the local Greens council told me she has reservations about the mountain bikes with the damage they cause, the potential conflict with walkers and the cost of maintenance of independent trails, but she said that if there were independent trails and there were plans to deal with these concerns she would be open to accepting them. That is a key environmental position.

Bike riders also are interested in protecting the environment. They are not four-wheel-drive vehicles ripping through the bush—and, ironically, four-wheel-drive vehicles can still go through these fire track areas. Bikes require a single track, which would have a minimal impact, and that should be agreed amongst the group if there was a formal consultation process. Designating an official track would minimise the number of bikers heading off through the bush with no controls. I am sure all reasonable groups would agree not to go informally through the bush but to use the dedicated trails. Walkers too would be aware of these dedicated trails.

We need to encourage people to get outside and exercise, not discourage them. We have a problem on the northern beaches with regard to young people and alcohol. If we are going to change the somewhat negative behaviour of young people we need to support them in activities that are healthy. A survey by Warringah Council, which is included in the group's Oxford Falls submission, showed that 47 per cent of mountain bike riders are under the age of 35. We seem to be ignoring the concerns and the interest of our youth in this particular activity. It is important that young bike riders who do not have independent transport access can still participate in the sport by riding locally. It is not practical for many people to have to travel to the Blue Mountains to ride when there is fantastic bushland and tracks in a breathtaking environment in their own neighbourhood.

As surfing is very much a part of that culture of the northern beaches, mountain biking could also become a significant recreational pastime. Already the biking groups claim it is the third most popular sport in the area after walking and swimming. One hundred and fifty people are employed in specialist bikes stores on the northern beaches. Of the 1.2 million bikes sold annually in Australia, 70 per cent are now mountain bikes. We should use this increased popularity to generate business and tourism. We should be working with these people to create tracks that bring people to the northern beaches and, in consultation with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, provide an opportunity to promote these areas by providing people with access to them.

As an example, the Stromlo Forest Park in the Australian Capital Territory recently held the world's largest 24-hour mountain bike race and a round of the World Cup in 2008, and it will hold the world bike championship this year with an expected 40,000 spectators. The Government has said it is committed to increasing the number of people who visit our national parks and it is working with interested stakeholders to develop opportunities for low-impact nature tourism. The Government should be consulting directly with these groups. We should work together to find a solution that enables bikers to still have access to these areas whilst ensuring, most importantly, that the bushland is protected. The group has already made a submission and I am seeking a meeting with the Minister for Climate Change and Environment and the Northern Beaches Mountain Biking Group to discuss this issue further. I ask the Government to consider protecting the environment and providing an opportunity for this group and other groups to access the environment in an environmentally friendly way.

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