Coastal pathway hopes receive battering
More bad news for the north-west coastal pathway with the release of figures showing the cost of addressing erosion along the path could hit $11 million.
The stand-off between local and state government on who is responsible for fixing the erosion has been going on for the past seven months.
Work to create the Wynyard to Cooee section of the pathway along the odld railway has been on hold since the erosion occurred.
Burnie Mayor, Steve Kons, was quoted in The Advocate, saying the erosion fix is the state government’s responsibility.
“It (the government) has a duty of care to protect state infrastructure and if it doesn't, it will just show a lack of credibility. And in a state budget of how many billions, $11 million is small change. They should just get on and do it."
Proposed MTB race to promote new tracks
A new three-day mountain bike endurance race being proposed for Tassie's east coast has scored $6500 in sponsorship from Break O'Day Council as well as the event's perpetual trophy.
The Dragon Trails MTBevent is proposed to run 26-29 March; first day at Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails, and second and third on the new St Helens Mountain Bike Trails.
Speaking ABC Hobart, Break O'Day Mayor, Mick Tucker said the money had been provided because of the benefits to the region.
"Being an international event and the competitors coming from all around the world, it's really going to put Break O'Day in general on the calendar and put it on the map," he said.
Queensland company Geocentric Outdoors is behind the event, which has copped some criticism from local mountain bikers for choosing a name similar to the locally run Blue Dragon MTB Challenge and for staging it at the same time as the Hellfire Cup.
The Hellfire Cup crew announced in May they were cancelling their event as they couldn’t compete with the Dragon Trails event just a few weeks later.
Tasmanian’s death prompts NY bike lane
The death of Tasmanian woman Madison Lyden has prompted a New York Community Board to support a separated cycleway next to Central Park West to protect bike riders.
Madison was killed in August 2018 while riding along the painted bike lane when a car veered into her lane, causing her to swerve and be hit by a driver behind her.
Madison’s parents provided a statement to the Community Board meeting which voted 27 to 7 to build a protected lane to save lives and prevent injuries. Supporters of the protected lane also held up photos of Madison and the ghost bike that was erected in her memory.
The lane was opposed by some people who don’t want to lose the 400 car parks that will be removed to make way for the lane.
Kelsey Tier MTB to stay local
Devonport City Council recently approved a master plan for the Kelsey Tier Reserve which confirms its place as a local-use mountain bike destination.
It recommends:
- improving the standard of the tracks by ensuring they are constructed by expert MTB track builders
- rating the tracks according to the IMBA AU grading system.
- formalising tracks built on non-council owned land.
- improving directional and interpretation signage in the reserve.
- building a new loop track in the western side of the reserve.
You can view the master plan on the council's website, which confirms its place as a local-use only MTB destination.