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The Greens respond
As some of you may be aware, I had emailed the NSW office's of 6 different Partys last sunday night. I have recieved my first and only responce so far from the Greens. Below is a copy and paste from the attached word document.
Do the Greens approve mountain biking as a safe outdoor recreational sport?
There are a number dangers to mountain biking. In particular, mountain biking is unsafe on poorly constructed (usually illegal) tracks. We believe that if mountain bike paths maintain best practice, including an appropriate path width and recognition of possible hazards such as blind corners, mountain bike riding can be a safe activity.Are the Greens aware of the huge growth in mountain biking as a recreational and social activity and as such the increasing need to provide legal areas for riding?
The Greens NSW are aware that all types of cycling, not just mountain bike riding, are increasing in NSW.Does the Greens believe mountain biking can be environmentally friendly?
Best practices, as defined by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, need to be observed. Sustainable trail design, construction and maintenance are critical to this activity being environmentally friendly.Are the Greens aware new trails can be built in a sustainable manner to an international standard?
We urge that any trails that are constructed must comply with these guidelines. The Greens NSW strongly discourages the use of tracks that are damaging to the environment, either through the crushing of vegetation or soil erosion. Any new mountain biking trails need to be well managed and subject to environmental assessment.Is the Greens familiar with the NPWS Mountain Biking Discussion Paper?
Yes. The Greens NSW believes that mountain bike riding in National Parks should be limited to areas that are not sensitive to environmental damage, where the location is suitable, and environmental impacts can be managed.Sincerely,
Tony Hickey
Lower House Campaign Coordinator
My 2 cents, I am not a Greens fan and have never voted for them but I do applaud the Greens for responding, getting in first and answering every question I gave them. I have checked out thier web site and thier polocies sound decent. I find thier responce to my questionaire very straight and by the book. It gives me the impression that they could vote for legal trails after scrutinising every last detail.
What are your thoughts?
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They are still poles. Whilst they may support the environment generally they also support other areas which I have some moral issues with. Good for their response but I will not vote for them Saturday.
I've been a green's voter in the past but frankly of late they have lost me a bit...still I am glad they are there.
There answers show some knowledge on this issue however which is interesting, still I don't know.
Anway my vote on the weekend isn't on this issue, its on other stuff... still interesting to try and pull some info out of the parties while they are all hungering for votes.
Sounds like managed firetrails to me.
no new single track- just use the existing fiertrails please!!!-thats what I got from that statemant.
As for the outdoor recreation party, you need to be aware of their other policies.
Like Muni I like their pro-environment stance but have grave moral issues with many of their other policies, and their economic management competence. I will not be voting for them either.
It might be fun to give them a run. It's easy to be idealist when you have no real power or responsibility, might be interesting to see how they handle it.
I have no idea which way to lean at the moment. NSW labor have become a the laughing stock of state governments but the only reason they've been able to dig themselves such a deep hole for so long is a lack of any serious alternative. An Opposition party with half a clue would have been voted in 3 terms ago.
Do we give someone else a run for the hell of it thinking "well they can't do any worse." or hand labor another shovel and scream "dig up stupid!"
Either way I think we're screwed
Remember how the federal independents were going to keep the federal government in check?
It's amazing that over the last couple of years I have discovered that you can trust some politicians to try and do the right thing. Sadly I'm unable to vote for the member I'm talking about though - not in their electorate.
So I'm back to the usual train of thought which is there is only one thing you can be sure of in any election: Whoever gets in is going to brake key elections promises.
Now this isn't rocket science and everyone must know it, but no party could possibly deliver on all their promises, mainly due to budget and time constraints. We, the general public are to blame for this - we almost beg them to lie about prospects and out-do each other which is pretty pathetic isn't it? Then again, think what would happen if someone actually put out some basic, common sense, achievable goals... most voters would laugh at them - which is why it doesn't happen.
I actually find this very similar to the way salesmen in shops and consumer goods manufacturers make outrageous claims about certain items. However, all items have been forced into making those same outrageous claims as if they don't do it they just look like a bad deal. It's a sad and telling analogy don't you think?
Anyhow - back on topic - I don't want to vote for a party that has proven incompetent and corrupt. Then again, a party that has done nothing but whine for the last 12 years isn't that attractive either.
Tricky, eh?
Just copied and pasted that from a book on how to answer questions about Mountain Biking.
Fortunatly for me, I enjoy the stress free fact that I dont need to vote as I dont hold Permanent Residency or Australian Citizenship!
The response doesn't really say too much other than if people are to ride off road the trails need to be sustainable. That doesn't mean they will have anything to do with campaigning for more access etc. By their response, most of Yellomundee would be a no go zone due to safety!
Like Mog I have been a Greens supporter in the past but something is afoot in their camp of late. I'm not sure what but it's enough to make me think again.
A political party's stance or opinion on mtbing will not really sway me as I base my vote on a lot of other things.
As has been said before, please don't cast your vote based on one aspect of policy. No use voting in a party who gives us 50km's of trail just to have the state slide deeper into the shit pit!
I think that this year, even though it may have seemed it in years gone by, it is picking the best of a really shitty bunch.
Is it such a bad thing that we will likely end up with a Premier with possibly way more substance than style?
It's every right minded voter's responsibility to examine fully the policies of parties such as the greens and cast your vote accordingly. I'm not a fan of communism so I'd even vote for an extremist like Fred Nile over them.
At least the greens response was a little more positive than the would be premeirs anti cycling spray
http://www.bicyclensw.org.au/content/barry-o%E2%...
That's scary. "Not practical for someone from Penrith to cycle to the city" ... conveniently forgetting that it's even less practical to drive. The bike commute is faster!
Of course Clover is trying to stop cars coming into the city - the place is gridlocked, and making it easier to drive in will only worsen it. People need options other than the single-occupant car to be made much more attractive to ease congestion. I can't believe how blind these people are - 50 years of motorway engineering has proven that more roads only serve to worsen congestion: "if you build it, they will come".
This is nothing more than populist posturing from The BOF trying to capture the bogan vote. The man has no shame.
Yeah Bogans hate bikes. You can't take one through a drive through.