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Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [12.08 p.m.]: I support the motion of the member for Davidson. I congratulate him on the work he has undertaken. He has been an incredible advocate for this site and has gone into detail unseen by many members of Parliament on an issue of immense concern to his community.
I emphasise one particular issue: the expected closure of the landfill site by 2014. The intention is that by 2016 the site will be open for public use. A previous speaker spoke about some future uses of the site, including mountain biking, horse riding and general recreation purposes. The Government is in the midst of selling these assets, which we support after agreement was reached regarding some sensible amendments to the proposal. The Belrose site has immense strategic value and opportunity for the local community. We take on good faith that this Government will retain the community obligations to which it has committed. In that sense, the site will be closed in 2014 and will be reopened in 2016 for community use. Funds have been allocated—about $3.5 million according to current records—and the site should be available for community use.
I highlight that the mountain bike movement on the northern beaches is growing every day to an almost unprecedented level. The group of more than 10,000 mountain bikers on the northern beaches deserves attention, recognition and support. I have a strong preference for what the site should be used for. Not only should it be open for general community recreation and horse riding access; it is also a terrific site for mountain bikes. Mountain bike groups generally are concerned that insufficient funds are available to support them. Locally, we have argued for sustainable tracks, which I will come to in a moment. The main point is that this site provides an incredible opportunity to create a world-class—rather than just across Sydney and New South Wales—mountain biking facility of which we can be proud.
No doubt from an environmental point of view, with the growing number of mountain bikers on the northern beaches, a limited number of tracks and incredible bushland, we need to find other solutions. I have strongly argued that we need sustainable tracks within our parks that enable mountain bikers to engage formally, and we need to help them build sustainable tracks, which would stop mountain bikers from illegally entering park areas where no-one wants them to go. Responsible mountain bikers appreciate that. At a recent local meeting I saw the passion of mountain bikers to ensure that the environment is protected. However, they also want to access parks, so sustainable tracks are critical.
In terms of the site at Belrose, this is another way of dealing with the growing mountain biking fraternity. As I said, this is an incredible opportunity to create a world-class facility. The member for Davidson and the member for Castle Hill clearly articulated the case for public use of the site. We seek an assurance from the Government that community obligations relating to the site are retained and delivered, regardless of the sale. We are taking that in good faith and we do not underestimate the significance of that or the opportunities it provides. The funding of more than $3 million that is sitting there should be applied to developing a mountain bike track with access and facilities that are the envy of the world.
As the Government moves forward with sale of the WSN site, we seek an assurance that community obligations will be maintained and that the funds will be used for that purpose. At the same time the Government must continue to support the protection of our parks and, at every opportunity, provide sustainable tracks for mountain bikers. We think that would provide a long-term solution. We need to support mountain bikers, and retaining the WSN landfill site at Belrose, together with using the funds to create this facility, would provide an unbelievable opportunity.
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