MTB Trailcare

For some years Qld Parks and Wildlife have supported our efforts to renovate or re-route damaged sections of trail in the Nerang National Park. We have been asked to sort out the legal trails first, before moving farther out into the trail system. The plan was for MTBtrailcare to handle the heavy jobs and GC MTB club to provide regular maintenance days for more minor jobs, with a view to identifying keen and talented diggers.

Since this thread started Pete's Track, the "new" Pete's Extension and Brett's Trail (what was known as Mongrels) have been signposted and added to the QPWS legal trail system. In addition Casuarina and Three Hills have had substantial upgrades (with more to follow on Three Hills) and we have tried to keep pace with storm, fire, weather and rider damage on other trails, plus manage damage caused deliberately by a psycho trail saboteur. 

Given the small numbers involved in authorised trailcare, we are pretty happy with how things have progressed. We know our land manager has mixed feelings and we feel lucky that our work has not been shut down given the blatant, ongoing, illegal trail building in the National Park. That has completely gone out of control lately and is pretty clear that there are numbers of people who choose to show the finger to QPWS, the club and MTBtrailcare, rather than help where help is needed and authorised. 

Well, seems things could change - a lot. On Saturday arvo GCMTB liaison Michael, plus Doug, Ash and I from MTBtrailcare met with Howard Taylor, Gold Coast City Council Senior Ranger and representative for Nerang at the Qld Outdoor Recreation Federation MTB forums on-site where we were digging on lower Three Hills. QORF is trying to develop a state-wide MTB advocacy system to facilitate MTB access via a global policy. However, that was not why Howard was there.

The perfect storm of circumstance is about to stall over Nerang. We have a council looking to expand MTB, the Commonwealth Games 2018 and a state government that has demanded increased recreational access to National Parks. Allegedly, from the minister to the DG's of departments involved, down to the local level, the message will be that Nerang is going to become a cycling destination capable of providing national and maybe international interest. There will be big things in Brisbane, Logan and Redlands as well, linking multiple MTB destinations together within short distances, but our interest is Nerang.

So this is what could happen:

A major redevelopment to the Velodrome facilities on Hope Street with expanded parking, toilets, showers, BBQ's, a bike washing and tool facility, pump track, trials area, skills park, DJ lines, BMX track, Qld Academy of Sport level elite BMX training facility and gym, cafe, future provision for shuttles and other commercial cycling ventures, plus professionally built trails.

With regard to the velodrome redevelopment, "nothing is off the table". Council wants a new trailhead at Pacific Pines and a connecting trail system that will allow riders of all standards to travel end to end. A nested trail system with basic ratio of 25% green - beginner, 50% blue - intermediate and 25% black - expert trail seems likely at the Nerang end at least and we have been working toward that as well. 

We have been told that if the plans get through interdepartmental policy, our current trail system is not actually secure and we can expect to see stuff we have worked on closed and rebuilt to suit the new system if this all goes ahead. There will be a consultation process where we can voice our ideas and suggest new lines, but professional contractors will take over and do the work.  Maintenance will be part of the budget. We have no problem losing trail that will be replaced by better alternatives, however there will be some sad illegal builders IMO.

Over the last few years we have put aside about $10k for trailwork and that will still be spent by the club, perhaps on machine built trail on the top hill of Three Hills. Machine building has recently become an acceptable option for QPWS, with restrictions. That re-route has been mapped and OK'd by QPWS. Considering that in the last 3 years we have received about $600 of gravel from QPWS and a similar amount in tools via club grants, $10k sounds impressive. However, if State Government and Council keep to the word, the sums of money involved here should be hundreds of times larger.

Suffice to say we were pretty gob-smacked and considering a future of more riding and much less digging - we were counselled to find another addiction!  However, we have a strong relationship with QPWS and until this money and trail development is fact, we will continue to work toward the goal of better trail built by volunteers.  We know QPWS are on side with that.