![A Mountain Biking in Natural Areas report will be presented at ordinary meeting of Wingecarribee Shire Council on Wednesday, June 21. Picture from file. A Mountain Biking in Natural Areas report will be presented at ordinary meeting of Wingecarribee Shire Council on Wednesday, June 21. Picture from file.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/39FjqB3SNxYNGBFLWEMKh7h/de9b82fd-d051-4a2a-9280-992ab930d71b.jpg/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A Mountain Biking in Natural Areas report will be presented at ordinary meeting of Wingecarribee Shire Council on Wednesday, June 21.
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The report calls for funding to develop a Natural Areas Recreational Activities Strategy, and for a consultant to review the "unauthorised" Mount Gibraltar Heritage Reserve mountain bike trails.
It further calls for the "removal or decommissioning" of new or extended unauthorised mountain bike trails constructed prior to the adoption of the proposed strategy.
The report follows a petition being driven by 14-year-old Highlands teen, Tavish McPherson, to "Save the Gibraltar Mountain Bike and Walking Trails". At the time of publication the petition had 2,837 signatures.
Southern Highland News reported in April that the petition had called into question community consultation by the Wingecarribee Shire Council, which changed the area where the trails are, to an "ecological environmental" site.
Since then the council has met with the teens and engaged in a community survey to better understand the needs and demand for mountain bike riding facilities in the area.
A council spokesperson previously said the survey generated the largest response to any survey by the council in nine years.
When the official Mountain Biking in Natural Areas report is presented at Wingecarribee Shire Council on Wednesday, Tavish will be present. He plans to make his own presentation on behalf of the Highland youths who use the trails.
According to the report the community survey identified that there was a community desire for more opportunities for a wide range of recreational activities to be accommodated within the council's network of natural areas.
From the 535 submissions received, mountain biking received the highest level of support followed by bush walking, connection with nature, enjoying views/lookouts and bushcare and conservation.
"It can be concluded that along with several other activities there is an unmet demand for further mountain biking opportunities within the shire," the report states.
The report also referenced the Community and Recreation Facility Study and found "there was a consistent theme of a desire for new or expanded network of mountain bike trails".
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