General
Trail Care is here to provide a local focal point for trail maintenance, development and management. We are a volunteer group of professionals who ride mountain bikes. For our latest news see below.
The popularity of Mountain Biking in the Sydney region has increased enormously over the past 10-15 years, which has led both to the development of further unofficial trails and also increased pressure on existing official trails. Currently there is a lack of official trails, and the Green groups are justifiably raising environmental issues, many of which are caused by the lack of properly managed trails and official facilities in the region.
One of the main purposes of Trail Care is to help mountain bike groups, NPWS, Councils, land managers, community green groups, industry and other user groups to communicate with each other effectively.
We can keep us all in touch.
Trail Care’s founding members spent more than a decade building relationships in Sydney and have recently come together under the Trail Care name. These members have varied professional backgrounds including being involved in local and State planning, approvals and policy development. All, though, are riders, many of whom happen to have current day-jobs or past experience with some of the nation’s most-respected engineering and environmental consultancies.
Also, most are members of local clubs and other rider user groups, such as NoBMoB and MWMtb, and have been involved with previous Manly Dam volunteer trail maintenance. We provide representation of these groups and also IMBA on the NPWS Northern Sydney MtB Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
Trail Care is here to support your trails and keep us all on the dirt.
News
Coming up - Walk through with flora and fauna experts and soils and drainage experts to provide input to trail concepts and site rehabilitation.
Coming up - Walk through / Ride at Red Hill and Oxy with Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council and Aboriginal Heritage experts to provide input to trail concepts.
May 2012 - Preliminary walk around Red Hill with Synergy Trails to begin the development of trail concepts for the area.
May 2012 - Met with Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council to discuss potential for formalised network at Oxford Falls and Red Hill.
May 2012 - Met with Manly and Warringah Councils discussing DJ and Freedom. Currently preparing best practice Design and Management Guidelines for Insurance Company to resolve perceptions and issues with DJ sites.
Feb and ongoing 2012 - Meeting with all landowners at Red Hill and Oxford Falls to discuss formalised network. Request for for trail route proposals.
April 2012 - Bantry Bay site inspection with NPWS and rest of the Northern Sydney MtB Stakeholder Advisory Committee at Bantry Bay to investigate feasibility of new trails.
2 Feb 2012 - With the help of our volunteer members we have recently published the following proposal for discussion and so far have gained an audience with the NSW Department of Planning. OFRH Trail Care Proposal
We have also distributed it to Councils, MALC, Department of Primary Industries (Crown Lands), green groups to promote discussion and achieve our goal of a formal trail network that caters for all riding disciplines. Further updates soon...
25 Jan 2012 - Introduced local mountain bike trail design and construction companies to Warringah Council staff for upcoming Manly Dam maintenance works
11th December 2011 - NPWS Pilot Trail Study - Members conducted site visit to provide feedback to NobMob, TrailCare, MWMtb and to also represent IMBA at Stringy Bark Ridge – Berowra Valley Regional Park. This was the first inspection with the rest of the Northern Sydney MtB Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
The site looks promising for XC loop. Some areas will be challenging to ride up and may require a hike-a-bike.
11th December 2011 - Began reviewing NPWS Review of Environmental Factors (REF) which is a detailed environmental and heritage study aimed at determining if new trails at Stringy Bark Ridge or Bantry Bay would present a significant impact.