First-ever forum shapes future of mountain biking in NSW, ACT

While riders were charging down Thredbo’s trails last Thursday at the AusCycling Mountain Bike National Championships, across the river at a local hotel, AusCycling executives were meeting with government stakeholders to discuss the future of mountain biking in NSW and the ACT.

The NSW and ACT MTB Forum was the first of its kind for AusCycling, bringing together government agencies from a range of backgrounds, including regional development officers, land managers, local government officials, and sports administrators from the NSW Office of Sport.

The forum addressed topics such as the growth in the sport over the last five years; the challenges around trail planning, governance and maintenance; and the opportunities presented by events such as the National Championships, and presenters included Dean Brostek from sports advisory firm The Kinetica Group, General Manager of Bicycle Industries Australia Peter Bourke, and Blue Sky Trails founder and AusCycling State Advisory Council member Craig Meinicke.

Dean Brostek, The Kinetica Group

AusCycling Executive General Manager of Government Strategy Nick Hannan led the discussion, and said it was a rare opportunity to be able to bring together such a diverse group of government agencies to discuss pertinent issues in the sport.

“Mountain biking is such a rapidly changing discipline, so it is critical stakeholders are fully informed on issues such as governance and planning, sustainable trail development, and the level of growth taking place in the sport,” Hannan said.

“By meeting face to face, sharing information, and collaborating in forums like these, we hope to secure the future of mountain biking for the community. We anticipate this will be the first step towards improving the coordination of support for mountain biking across NSW and the ACT.”

The forum resolved to continue collaborating on the challenges and opportunities in the sport, and Hannan added that AusCycling is looking to hold similar forums in other states and territories across all cycling disciplines in the coming months.