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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4103 ..

MS HORODNY: My question is to Mr Humphries in his capacity as Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning. Mr Humphries, you would know that the Australian mountain bike championships were held on the eastern side of Mount Majura in April this year and that significant damage was caused at the top of Mount Majura where the downhill race went through part of the Canberra Nature Park. I understand that since then officials have been looking at alternative venues for the next mountain bike championships and that a suitable site has been identified in the Blue Range area of the Uriarra pine forest. However, I understand that the Australian Cycling Federation is still keen on using Mount Majura. Minister, could you clarify the Government's view on the location of next year's mountain bike championships?

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank Ms Horodny for that question because it is a relevant and timely question. Yes, the Government has been in deep negotiation for a number of months now with the Australian Cycling Federation about the hosting of the national mountain bike championships in 1998. As you have indicated, the event was held this year on Mount Majura. It did result in rather more damage to parts of the Canberra Nature Park than was expected when that site was chosen. It was the view of the Government that on a long-term basis Mount Majura was an unsuitable site, particularly in so far as it included parts of the Canberra Nature Park, for ongoing mountain bike championships or for mountain bike activity generally.

We engaged in discussions with the Australian Cycling Federation with a view to finding an alternative location. I might point out to the Assembly that at the same time the federation was being approached by the Victorian Government to host the event at a location, I think at Mount Beauty, in eastern Victoria. The Government suggested two alternative sites - one at Kowen Forest and the other at Blue Range. Certainly, the site at Blue Range, as Ms Horodny suggested, was a very good site; but there were other considerations that were important to the Cycling Federation, including access by competitors and spectators, which militated against that site at the end of the day. I can say that the Government has moved to the point where it has agreed that a site at Kowen Forest should be made available for future holding of the event. Some construction work will be done over the next few years to produce a high standard international course for that event to be held successfully in future years in the ACT. That is an investment the Government believes is worth making, in order to keep the event in Canberra. Members who attended the championships this year will know that it was a very successful event, attracting a great many people from around Australia and, indeed, internationally.

However, that Kowen Forest option is not available, and cannot be made available, in time for the championships this coming March. As a result, the Government has agreed that the event should be held for one further year on Mount Majura. This, again, is a question of balance between retaining an important event in the ACT, and the economic benefits it produces, and accepting a relatively small amount of damage to the environment. The Government's intention is to redesign the course on Mount Majura in such a way that it maximises the use of the existing routes caused by things such as the laying of trails for other purposes and areas that are already degraded, to reduce the effect on the environment. I believe we have been able to strike a balance on that matter.

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