The town of Cockburn is one step and only hours away from a controversial and total ban on mountain bikes on the popular trails through Spearwood’s Manning Park.
Despite having once thought of turning Manning Park into a mountain biker’s hot spot, Cockburn’s council has been asked to close all unauthorized trails through the park and put in place a ban that would come into effect after next summer.
The recommendation presented at Thursday night’s council meeting has caused some members of a task force set up to explore how best mountain bikers and nature can coexist in Manning Park have been outraged.
Mark Santo, who represented the Mountain Bike Riding Group in Manning Park Trails City’s Community Engagement Group, said the group made five trail recommendations — none of which involved ending the trails.
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He told PerthNow that he believes city officials have “completely ignored” the group’s ideas when recommending them.
“I felt there was an opportunity to share with the community engagement group that not all mountain bikers are hooligans and builders of unapproved trails; that many of us respect the environment, support the local community and support the ecological and cultural significance of our large park,” said Mr. Santo.
“Before last Friday, there was no indication from the council that (banning mountain bikes from Manning Park) was even a consideration.
“After joining the Manning Park Trails Community Engagement Group, I was well aware that the group did not agree to ban mountain biking in the park or any existing “unauthorized” trails that have been removed.”
Camera IconMark Santo rides his mountain bike in Manning Park. Credit: Mark Santo/delivered
The engagement group’s report stated that if authorized trails were built in Manning Park, the city would be required to follow the eight-stage DBCA trail planning process. A full assessment of the site’s biodiversity and ecological value, as well as an assessment of Aboriginal and European heritage, should be carried out.
Mr. Santo said removing existing trails would disqualify mountain bikers trail runners, hikers, orienteering groups,, and the local TAFE practicing bush skills in the park.
“The fact that the municipality considers these routes to be mountain bike trails only confirms that they do not understand the different user groups that use them,” he said.
The officers recommend the city exclude mountain bikes from Manning Park, excluding designated bike trails, effective March 1, 2023 and authorize the city to close and remove all unauthorized bike trails from Manning Park.
Camera icon The Manning Park Trail Runners was created by Clint Slomp nearly six years ago. Credit: Jo MalcolmCamera Icon, The Manning Park Trail Runners, should stop using the trails if Cockburn Town Council bans unauthorized bike trails. Credit: Jo Malcolm
Manning Park Trail Runners leader Clint Slomp was also part of the community group, saying the city’s impending decision could tear “the heart” out of its group of runners.
“Our Community Engagement Group findings were that we wanted to get real scientific evidence of what’s happening in the park to decide the best way forward and whether or not trails are the best to take. Do,” said Mr. Slomp.
“But the officer has completely overtaken our recommendations. Even with the passionate environmentalists and people out in the wild, they never said they would close the trails and ban mountain biking in Manning Park.
“It just feels like we wasted so many hours on all those meetings so they could just turn around and still do what they wanted.”
The City of Cockburn will decide wwhether mountainbikes and unauthorized bike lanes from Manning Park at their monthly council meeting on Thursday evening.
