is there a Motorcross park like taupo's "Digger McEwen Park" in/near tauranga ?

Is Bike NZ aware of this situation?? It is surely in their best interests to support the cause. They have access to lawyers and suchlike with the expertise to handle this sort of thing. I personally would get in touch with the local newspaper and make a real issue out of it.
My opinion only.
I would also make an appointment to see the mayors of the districts and take a reporter along with me to that meeting. It is (I believe) a mistake to start at the bottom and work your way up to the person in charge, start from the mayor and work down from there.
Take no excuses from the mayor, put him in a position of responsibility.
(Just my opinion on this matter( Hope it helps.
Hoppy

Done Hope it helps.

ryda wrote:is there a Motorcross park like taupo's "Digger McEwen Park" in/near tauranga ?

One out the other side of Te Puke as far as I'm aware, not sure if it's a track as such (or a Mx trail ride place)

Thanks to all those who have mabe submissions for the support of another riding area
Long live long rides!

This sucks. I've emailed you a letter of support, but re-reading the OP it doesn't specifically say that mountainbiking is being dropped form the park, just that the area that was earmarked for MTB has been reallocated to MXers (or maybe it does and I'm just being thick...) Does this mean that:

a) the land previously allocated to MX has been swapped with land allocated to MTB?
b) MXers now have the land previously allocated to them PLUS the land allocated to MTB?
c) MXers never had any land allocated to them and have now been handed the MTB land (i.e. MTB is dropped altogether)?
d) something else...

Just want to get the facts straight before I ping off emails to friends and colleagues asking them for support too.

Ta.

i have sent the generic email

WH wrote:This sucks. I've emailed you a letter of support, but re-reading the OP it doesn't specifically say that mountainbiking is being dropped form the park, just that the area that was earmarked for MTB has been reallocated to MXers (or maybe it does and I'm just being thick...) Does this mean that:

a) the land previously allocated to MX has been swapped with land allocated to MTB?
b) MXers now have the land previously allocated to them PLUS the land allocated to MTB?
c) MXers never had any land allocated to them and have now been handed the MTB land (i.e. MTB is dropped altogether)?
d) something else...

Just want to get the facts straight before I ping off emails to friends and colleagues asking them for support too.

Ta.

Probably most likely option B or C
Flick Steve an email on info(at)mtbtauranga.co.nz
you can contacy Marty on through the http://www.mtbtauranga.co.nz website if you have any more questions

WH wrote:This sucks. I've emailed you a letter of support, but re-reading the OP it doesn't specifically say that mountainbiking is being dropped form the park, just that the area that was earmarked for MTB has been reallocated to MXers (or maybe it does and I'm just being thick...) Does this mean that:

a) the land previously allocated to MX has been swapped with land allocated to MTB?
b) MXers now have the land previously allocated to them PLUS the land allocated to MTB?
c) MXers never had any land allocated to them and have now been handed the MTB land (i.e. MTB is dropped altogether)?
d) something else...

Just want to get the facts straight before I ping off emails to friends and colleagues asking them for support too.

Ta.

Here is the situation as it stands:

The area we have been planning for was tagged for MX use in an early proposal (around 5 years ago)

The area is (was) tagged "Non-noisy activities" in a later concept plan

Last time I checked the maps on the WBOPDC website the area was marked with "Mountainbiking Hub" right in the middle of the area we've been doing our planning in (See here)

We signed an MOU with the council to develop that part of the park.

As yet no offer of another area has been forthcoming (though that would be a joke, as the only remaining area is totally unsuitable for a family MTB park!)

The MX riders have not made any attempt to gain an MOU until now (and I'm not even sure they are even trying now)

As far as I'm aware this situation has developed because the Motorsport user group have decided that the MXers are not compatible with their vision of the motorsport section of the park, and so have pushed them out and suggested that they use another area, i.e the mountainbike hub.

The council had also agreed not to make any major decisions affecting user groups without full consultation - something which DEFINITELY did not happen.

And finally, Ric, the park manager, was completely left out of the decision, I suspect because he is pro-mountainbike, and would have not supported the decision. It also makes a mockery of the past 2 years of careful planning he has put into the park to ensure separation between user group.

To summarise, the MXers were included in the motorsport area of the park. They appear to have been pushed out by other motorsport clubs, The most desirable area in the park after the motorsport area is the MTB area (The shooters area is well spoken for). We have probably been seen as a soft target, seeing as we are a club of only around 150 members.

In a recent user group meeting the MXers even admitted that the park in it's entirety was too small for them in terms of what they usually ride in the forests!

Hope this information helps.

I would like to point out one of two things.
A: Don't sling mud or point the finger at the council or the MXers until you have all the facts. Councils will for one have no greater pleasure in smiting or opposing anyone that pisses them off. Currently they hold all the cards play nice with them until more passive means fail.
MXers run in the same way but they'll just flip you the middle finger and ride were ever they want to while you aren't looking.

B: Find out what is really happening before you start whining (for lack of better word) about it on a public forum organising a lynching. You should have contacted all of your clubs members first told them the story then once you had the facts worked out what you as a collective want to proceed.


This is IMO, Yes I it sucks and I'll lend support when needed was looking forward to being able to ride there in a few years. Pointing a loaded shotgun in the general direction of a threat, pulling the trigger and hoping its there isn't going to always work out the best.
Doesn't matter how much land you give people with engines its never going to be enough for them. MX riders also have one thing over MTB, their trails tend not to need constant ongoing maintanance so councils see it as "cheap".
Throw the "What about the environment" at them. Imagine the amount it would cost for carbon credits. Hippies my help they smell up the joint and make lots of noise so could come in handy, councils like to keep them quiet.m

Thanks but no thanks on the advice Datsane, nobody has slung mud, pointed a loaded shotgun or made any threats.
Nor is anyone whining or organising a public lynching.
Sure we are still waiting on facts, but an email has gone out to all club members about it, and the only reason for this thread is to garner support from MTB riders.

Datsane wrote:MXers run in the same way but they'll just flip you the middle finger and ride were ever they want to while you aren't looking.

and you won the stereotype fail of the week award

ryda wrote:

Datsane wrote:MXers run in the same way but they'll just flip you the middle finger and ride were ever they want to while you aren't looking.

and you won the stereotype fail of the week award

What do I get?

Not all are cunzors, like most things its the cunzors you remember. But alot think that just cause they can get there bike it there its ok to ride there (Te Miro had/has much the same trouble and most of the guys we stopped weren't super happy) and the type of person that does that are often the ones that wait for someone else to do all the work then come in at the last minute.

Dents, I was getting in first before everyone started on the whine wagon. Some one did say something about setting fire to things. It was "in my opinion"

Yeah whatever, dont confuse the odd internet forum throwaway comment, with the thrust of what has come from the club founder that started this thread.

I don't think it hurts to get some sort of support. One mans voice can't always be heard but a whole lot of them will.
I believe there is a user meeting tonight so hopefully the concerns will be discussed with a positive outcome for mountain biking.
Good luck guys. If can be of any more help... just ask.

Ughhh this stinks.

Email sent and CC'd to Tauranga Mayor as well as BikeNZ.