Westleigh Park: Mountain bikers, environmental groups in tracks furore
Environmental groups and mountain bikers are at odds over the future of historic tracks in critically endangered forest in Sydney’s north.
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Environmental groups and the mountain bike community are at loggerheads over the future of a popular network of tracks in critically endangered forest in Sydney’s north.
Trails at Westleigh Park and Hornsby Park have long been a popular spot for mountain bikers because of its mix of beginner to technical tracks.
While there are several tracks that are frequented on safe bushland, local environmental groups have expressed their concern over some which cross onto the critically endangered Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark and Blue Gum Diatreme Forests.
Protecting Your Suburban Environment spokeswoman Jan Primrose has called for the removal of mountain bike tracks on endangered bushland at the site.
“Mountain bike riding should be in already cleared areas and non-sensitive bushland, not in the endangered bushland at Westleigh Park and Hornsby Park,” Ms Primrose said.
“The Blue Gum Diatreme Forest grows on volcanic soils in and around the Quarry and is the only one of its kind in the world.
“Both the Blue Gum Diatreme Forest and the Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, which grows on the Westleigh Park site and adjoining Biobank site, are listed at Commonwealth level as being critically endangered ecological communities.”
Ms Primrose said that the sites “must be protected” because rare flora and fauna are also located including breeding pairs of Powerful Owls.
Her calls for Hornsby Council to remove tracks on endangered forest were echoed by other local environmental groups including STEP Inc and Friends of Berowra Valley Inc.
STEP Inc president Jill Green called on council to “rehabilitate” areas within Westleigh and Hornsby Parks that have been damaged by mountain bike tracks including damage to tree root systems.
“This is rare bushland that must be saved for our future generations,” Friends of Berowra Valley Inc’s vice president Robin Buchanan added.
While conservations groups have expressed their concern for years, the momentum has increased in recent weeks since Hornsby Council released its Westleigh Park masterplan.
The plans include a significant reduction in the network of mountain bike tracks crossing through endangered forest in Westleigh Park.
It comes off the back of a 2018 report to council which found there were 350 sites in the mountain bike trail network that were non compliant, dangerous or contributed to environmental impacts.
While the local environmental groups say the draft masterplan is an improvement from the many tracks currently going through the Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark forest, they are concerned about more damage to endangered areas in the time it takes for council to intervene.
Ms Green said the masterplan was an “improvement” from the many tracks now crossing on the endangered forest, yet she said it was still “not perfect.”
“It’s an improvement but they are still going to have a mountain biking track around the edge and a walking trail goes through the Sydney Turpentine Forest,” Ms Green said.
However, mountain bike groups are furious with council’s proposal to alter and remove a large number of trails to make way for the park’s proposed developments.
Westleigh H20 Mountain Bike Group has created its own petition against council’s masterplan which has attracted more than 3,000 signatures.
The petition’s organiser Stephen Wright claims that 50 to 70 per cent of high value mountain bike trails will be lost if the changes go ahead.
Mr Wright, who is also a member of mountain bike club Snorc, said the trails have been around for years before Hornsby Council bought the land from Sydney Water in 2016.
The Westleigh local said he believed there were alternatives such as boardwalks to prevent damage to the endangered forest while keeping the mountain bike tracks.
He also criticised council for proposing to cut several mountain bike tracks yet create a new walking trail that crosses through endangered forest.
“While they (Council) are removing the trails from the endangered area they want to put a walking track in the same place. If you are going to keep people out you’ve got to keep people out, you can’t discriminate from one user group to another,” Mr Wright said.
He called on council to co-design the masterplan with the mountain biking community.
A Hornsby Council spokeswoman said: “Informal mountain bike trails have been present in bushland at the Westleigh site for many years, and well before council purchased the site from Sydney Water in 2016.
“Since then council has developed an understanding of the vegetation on this site, as part of its ongoing plan to develop the Westleigh Recreation area.
“Council purchased the land in order to provide additional sportsgrounds in the future. The site will also be able to provide spaces for passive recreation, such as walking, picnic areas and mountain bike trails.
“Council is currently working through a community consultation process to obtain feedback and input into how council will sustainably balance competing demands for the site and manage valuable bushland.
“We value all community feedback as we refine plans for this important site.”
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