Community groups rally to save Frogmouth Trail (Press Release)
Cycling enthusiasts from all walks of life and community interest groups including Brisbane Off-Road Riders Alliance (BORRA), Brisbane West BUG, Kenmore Cycle Club, RATS Cycling Club, Brookfield Riders, and others will come together for a community bike ride through Brisbane's iconic Mt Coot-tha reserve on Saturday 26th November. The ride aims to bring people together for a common purpose, which is to raise awareness of the need for an off-road trail network that meets the needs of the growing number of people wanting to enjoy the outdoors through off-road cycling
BORRA has worked tirelessly with State and Local Governments since 2019 to advocate for the growing needs of the off-road cycling community to address and support the fast-growing sport of mountain biking. BORRA has written to the Local Government addressing key aspects of the Brisbane Off Road Cycling Strategy and the draft Mt Coot-tha Mountain Bike Concept Plan. Intending to build a whole-of-community-minded perspective on the use and care of the reserve, BORRA has reached out to other community groups including Mt Coot-tha Protection Alliance, The Hut Environmental & Community Association, and member groups of Brisbane Catchment Network.
Dan Crawford, President of BORRA said "This community rally [Frogmouth Rally] is a real testament to the community of bike riders who have concerns with the local council's recently released Mt Coot-tha Mountain Bike Concept Plan. While some of the plan is good and we support those aspects, the overall plan falls short on key aspects as it limits access to the reserve and proposes to close some existing trails that have been here for decades. This detracts from the opportunity identified in BCC's [Brisbane City Council] own off-road cycling strategy that goes further to support riders wishing to engage with the reserve to enjoy exercise, and leisure and to de-stress in nature."
Key to Mr. Crawford's and BORRA's feedback is the lack of access to the park from most corners, no long off-road loops around the mountain, and the scheduled closure of existing trails in most areas in the plan. The draft plan calls out closures in all three areas – A, B, and C – so not only the access trails in Area C but also the more demanding trails on the north face (part of Area B), which sees a great number of up-and-coming riders' access regularly to improve their riding in a natural trail setting.
"We need to support more trails and support our cycling community not hinder it by closing trails. Off the back of community feedback just two years ago where the council reported 89% support for more off-road cycling opportunities, and here we are in 2022 with the same council releasing a concept plan for public comment which implies trail closures in the majority of the reserve [Area A, B, and C] and a concentration of trails in the already busy Gap Creek Reserve – trails which largely already exist, and with the plan only showing a very small increase in the footprint of the trail network.“ Mr. Crawford explains.
Cycling enthusiast and treasurer of BORRA Jeremy Woodhill said "the [Brisbane City Council] concept plan has a lot of great things about it I like the idea of linking the Gap Creek reserve to Gold Creek and would like to see the areas designated as Area B and C to have more trails in them, be well maintained and introduce better and standardised trail signage similar to neighbouring natural areas. The idea of closing existing trails that are widely used all over the park is narrow-minded and obstructionist. Other city councils and states are going gangbusters on mountain biking as they can truly see the social, cultural, health, and wellness aspects as well as the booming economies that come with families, clubs, and athletes choosing destinations like Tasmania and the Alpine National Parks as mountain biking destinations. We have some great talent now in Australia with some of our sportsmen and women reaching the world and Olympic stages in the sport. We need to recognise in Queensland, the potential other states and indeed other countries like New Zealand, Canada, the US, and the UK have seen in the sport which is now a billion-dollar industry, and to provide areas like Mt Coot-tha for riders to enjoy and challenge themselves. Brisbane 2032 is just around the corner and Mt Coot-tha is a central location for cyclists to access a great reserve in their backyard. If BCC doesn't capitalise on that they are wasting the opportunity of a lifetime to put Brisbane on the map and that would be disappointing. There is a great legacy and sustainability opportunity we must work with here. People who spend a lot of time in an area come to know it, care for it, and respect it. If we turn our kids away because we want to lock up reserves like Mt Coot-tha, we won't have the next generation to care for it in the future and that would be sad."
The Frogmouth Rally will start from the open grassed area near Gap Creek Reserve Carpark leaving at 7:00 AM sharp on November 26th and follow a popular route through some of the trail network targeted for closure. The ride will finish at Merri-Merri Park at around 10:30 AM where a BBQ and refreshments will be put on by Brisbane Off-Road Riders Alliance Inc. Details can be found on BORRA's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BORRA.org
Contact: Jeremy Woodhill, BORRA Treasurer
treasurer@borra.org