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CENTENNIAL PARKLANDS ADMINISTRATION SUGGEST THAT CYCLISTS TRAIN ELSEWHERE THAN IN CENTENNIAL PARK. (See petition at bottom of report) After 2 years of negotiations with the Administration of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trusts, they have informed Cycle Centennial that big bunches of cyclists are intimidating to other park users and suggested that it might be better if training cyclists did not train in Centennial Park. In fact in keeping with that suggestion, they have even offered an alternate location.
In 2000, the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust engaged consultants Sinclair Knight Merz to produce the, “The Centennial Parklands Transport, Access & Parking Plan.” A draft plan was produced and was put on public exhibition on 1 July 2001.
It soon became apparent that implementation of the plan would have a devastating effect on training cyclists in the Park. Indeed many cyclists expressed the view that the plan appeared to contain a hidden agenda to force training cyclists out of Centennial Park. As a result, a group of concerned cyclists and triathletes came together and Cycle Centennial was born. Cycle Centennial is a consortium of concerned Centennial Park users. It represents the interests of many of the Sydney cycling and triathlon clubs. Sydney Cycling Club, Randwick Botany Cycling Club, Eastern Suburbs Cycling Club, Sutherland Cycling Club, St George Cycling Club and the Waratah Veterans Cycling Club, Triathlon NSW, Balmoral, BRATS, STEAM Sports & Eastern Suburbs Juniors, to name but a few. Through careful debate and negotiation, Cycle Centennial has been successful in convincing the Trust to abandon the proposed contra-flow cycle lane, speed calming devices and pedestrian crossings on Grand Drive, from the Transport Access and Parking Plan.
Over the last few years, Cycle Centennial has had several meetings with the Trust Administration where we consistently gave an undertaking to work with the Park Administration to improve the image of the training cyclist and to formulate a “Code of Conduct” which would in turn be circulated to the membership. The Trust Administration gave a counter undertaking to endorse “Bunch Cycling” as a legitimate recreational activity in Centennial Park. This fact was minuted at a workshop meeting between Cycle Centennial and Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust personnel on Wednesday 6 March 2002. The minutes were approved for display by the Manager of Operations and it was noted in the minutes that further discussion and negotiation would be required to iron out details such as times/days/bunch size, etc, as well as the development of a draft code of conduct. On Thursday 26 June 2003, Cycling Centennial delegates met with Trust Administration including the Operations Manager, Andrew Ferris and the Co-ordinator of Access and Safety, Mark Pilledge. The main purpose of the meeting was Agenda item 3, "Draft Grand Drive Code of Conduct discussion". The Trust Administration produced a lengthy amendment to Cycle Centennial’s originally proposed Draft Code of Conduct with nearly 50 conditions, some of which are very onerous, impracticable and unachievable. For example, Item 4.8, “Local cycling clubs will register their riders to facilitate communication and identification.” We are not sure what this means but it tends to infer some form of displayed registration system.
Click here to see a comparison of Cycle Centennial's original Draft Code of Conduct submitted in September 2001 and Centennial Parkland's version, a modification and extension of Cycle Centennial's original document which took them nearly two years to formulate and which they finally presented to Cycle Centennial at our third meeting on 26 June 2003.
In addition, the Trust Administration has consistently given Cycling Centennial an undertaking, as part of viewing cycle training as a legitimate activity, to amend the regulations in respect of the redundant regulation 21. This regulation requires that no bunch of cyclists should exceed 15 in number, else every rider in the bunch was guilty of an offence. They agreed that they had no idea as to the origin of the 15 rider regulation particularly as it doesn’t even allow for an even number of cyclists. However they have informed Cycle Centennial that they would not be pursuing any amendment to this regulation.
When questioned as to why they were reneging on a previous undertaking, they initially informed us that the process for changing a Regulation was too onerous for a single piece of legislation and would only be undertaken in company with several changes to the Act/Regulations. They then played us video footage of bunches of cyclists circulating the Grand Drive and drew our attention to the size of the “pack”. They then went on to detail isolated accounts of pack cyclists spitting on and abusing other park users as though this group of dedicated athletes were undisciplined rabble. The bunch is not undisciplined rabble. Rather it is composed of dedicated athletes who, when they are not cycling, are largely the CEO’s of companies, Barristers, Solicitors, Doctors, Scientists with PHD’s, and even Catholic priests. The Centennial Park and Moore Part Trust administration personnel admitted that even if they were in a position to change the Regulation they had no intention of doing so. When questioned about this extraordinary statement, they informed the delegation that they felt that large “packs” of cyclists were intimidating to other park users and that they were not going to abandon legislation that made it unlawful for bunches of more than 15 cyclists to congregate together.
They then suggested to us that perhaps training cyclists might be better off training outside the Park. A discussion ensued where the danger of training on the public road system was discussed. The Manager of Operations then suggested that it might be better for all concerned if training cycling was not conducted in the park at any time. He then made the extraordinary offer of an alternate venue. Driver Avenue Moore Park was offered to Cycle Centennial. Trust Administration personnel went on to explain to the Cycle Centennial delegation that Driver Avenue was owned by the Trust and they could close it whenever they liked. They offered to close this road on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for bunch training. Cycle Centennial delegates made the point that cycle training is not about performing endless miles like a mindless automaton. Like other park users, cyclists use the park to enjoy its relative safety, beauty and serenity.
It subsequently occurred to Cycle Centennial that the closing of a thoroughfare between two major arterial roads, in the middle of the afternoon peak, might be something that the local Traffic Sergeant might want to know about. We spoke to the Surry Hills Traffic Sergeant in who's jurisdiction Driver Avenue falls and advised the Sergeant of the Trust’s proposal. The Traffic Sergeant informed Cycle Centennial that Driver Avenue is owned by the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust and that they can lawfully close it. The Traffic Sergeant did however have concerns in relation to the following issues:
1. Who is going to affect the closures and reopen the road? How would motorists in both Moore Park Road and Lang Road (both major arterial roads), be pre-warned of the closures.
2. How would the tenants gain access to the west side of Fox studios, including teams such as Swans etc who train there?
3. Driver Avenue is subject of a current Local area traffic management scheme presently before the Local Traffic Committee involving speed calming devices including raised pedestrian thresholds and road narrowing via landscaping. Hardly conducive to training cyclists (note: all traffic management facilities had to be totally removed for the Olympic course)
4. Concerns in relation to public risk insurance. If the road is closed and sterile conditions are implemented, is this road then for the exclusive use of cyclists? What if a pedestrian wants to cross the road or roller bladers want to skate up and down the closed roadway. What are the public risk implications of this and if this road is closed for the exclusive use of training cyclists, who is going to police the course to ensure that pedestrians and other road users stay off the field of play?
These were merely some of the issues that came immediately to mind when the scenario was put to Police via the telephone. No doubt there would be further concerns if Police were given the opportunity to make formal comment on the matter. However it is the view of Cycle Centennial that the preliminary issues raised by Police to the proposal made by the Trust Administration, makes any contemplation of its implementation totally preposterous.
John Buckton President Randwick Botany Cycling Club Delegate Cycle Centennial
The appointed delegates to Cycle Centennial are Robert Barnes (St. George Cycling Club), John Buckton (President,Randwick -Botany Cycling Club), Phil McKnight (Treasurer, Sydney Cycling Club), and Fergus Neilson (Eastern Suburbs Cycling Club). The appointed delegates have formulated a petition that will be circulated to all it's member clubs. We urge all training cyclists to sign the petition. Attached is a copy of the petition in PDF format. Please keep the petitions coming. To date we have 800 signed. We have had very good responses from some clubs and not so good responses from other clubs. To see the current breakdown, click here. |
