NEW Draft Cycling Strategy by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

HAVE YOUR SAY before 30 January 2022. The New South Wales (NSW) National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has developed a suite of new cycling documents. The draft Cycling Strategy, Guidelines for Implementation and revised Cycling Policy will replace the current Sustainable Mountain Biking Strategy (2011) and Cycling Policy. These documents have been developed in response to the increased demand for cycling in National Parks, in particular mountain biking, the desire for new experiences and changes in cycling equipment over the last 10 years.

NPWS recognise cycling within our parks as a legitimate recreational activity and already offer, single track experiences, tracks with technical features, shared use management trails and key destination rides such as Thredbo Valley Track in Kosciuszko National Park. We also recognise and look to improve the management of key challenges, such as unauthorised tracks and associated impacts on park values. Improving visitor understanding of cultural and environmental values whilst on park is fundamental to the delivery of recreational experiences within NPWS protected areas.

The draft Cycling Strategy does not stipulate the location of tracks within local parks. What it does do is provide a statewide framework to assess opportunities and constraints on park that includes stakeholder and community engagement and coordinated planning and management. It will also be able to guide individual park plans of management.

The suite of draft cycling documents are now on public exhibition for 10 weeks from Saturday 20 November 2021 – Sunday 30 January 2022. The NPWS will also be discussing the strategy through an online public presentation on Wednesday 1st December, 12.00 – 1.00pm.

To register for the online public presentation please go to https://dpie.adobeconnect.com/e51fcph7rbim/event/event_info.html.

You can see all the documents for the Strategy, Guidelines for implementation and revised Policy through www.environment.nsw.gov.au/cycling-strategy-and-cycling-policy.