The ASC's 2005 Ausport Awards nominations are closing soon.

As a member of the Club Development Network you are eligible to nominate for the Club Development Award. (You may also nominate for other categories.)

The Ausport Awards are designed to recognise and reward good practice in the industry across a diverse range of categories for individuals as well as organisations.

The Ausport Awards provide recognition in ten categories, including Schools, Clubs, Rural and Regional activities, National Sporting Organisations, Junior Sport as well as individual awards for lifetime achievement in coaching development, officiating development and furthering women in sport. The winner of each category will be in the running to receive the prestigious Ausport Award - for the most outstanding achievement in 2004.

Each finalist will also be invited to attend the presentation ceremony as part of the Australian Sports Commission's Our Sporting Future Forum to be held from March 2 to 4 2005 at the Sydney Convention Centre. Finalists will receive free registration and attendance at Australia's premier sport development forum. (This is a saving of approx $500 for registration as well as free travel and accommodation in Sydney)

For information on the Ausport Awards including how to nominate click on this link:



For a copy of the nomination booklet or more information, please call 1800 000 685.

Nominations for the Ausport Awards close on 26 November 2004, so start planning your nomination now!

A new, updated entry form for Killingworth has been uploaded in the calendar pages. Changes include a modified start time for several classes and a reduced entry fee for some classes. Please use the uploaded form in pre-registration

Cairns made a a welcome return to national MTB competition when it hosted the lead-out events in the 2004/2005 national MTB series. Although the competition fields were small by comparison to events held further south the organization and scope of the preparation on the events was anything but. Cairns has set the level for all other national series hosts to aim towards. Great commentary, music and food. Great courses that were technical but achievable and which had a great deal of thought put in about what they were going to demand of the riders. An awesome inaugural MTNX event on Friday night under the balmy Cairns night really set the scene for the weekend for those that travelled north. Results are now listed in the results page. Well done cairns MTB Club - bring on 2005!

The start of the national season is only days away and what better venue to start at than Cairns. The Cairns club (http://www.www.cairnsmtb.com/nats/) have an awesome website that details all you would ever need to know about the event on the 5-7 of November.

MTBA have produced an information booklet for the series that outlines all the important stuff riders and spectators need to know about the conduct of the series.

The list of Australian qualifiers from the 2004 MONT 24hr for the World Solo Championships in Canada in 2005 is:

Tory Thomas Melanie McIntyre Julie Day Imogen Smith Freya Scollay Kim Whitehouse Kay Haarsma

Joshua Street David Osmond Graeme Allbon Steve Fitchett Michael Meryment Kirk Vandeweghe Jez Spackman Bill Hunt Wayne Bradbury Andrew Cowie Harley Johnstone Hamish Elliott Ian Wright Damian Thomson Stuart Kane Ray Giddins Neil Dall Phil Mathewson

Liam O'Dea also qualifies by virtue of having raced in the 2004 World Solos.

Finally, Tristan Bennett gets a berth by virtue of his awesome efforts of riding the MONT on a single speed!

The race is normally on in the first week of September. Congratulations and hopefully the Riders from Oz can kick some serious butt in North America.

There have been some date changes in the national Series calendar and we now have a Bike Trials Series thanks to the great work of Rod Smith and the Bike Trials adherents. Download the latest calendar here.

SPiNACH is an extreme film festival for extreme sports athletes and filmakers. Congratulations to last years winners, a team of mountain bikers from Melbourne with their film "Inertia".

Where? Wharf 8 OPT
When? This saturday
Who is exhibiting? Primarily sports associations, gear manufactureres and Sponsors
Time? 6pm - Midnight

Whats on?
6pm- 9pm: Exhibiters, Photo Exhibition, Demos, climbing, trials, bmx, skate, blade
9pm- 11pm: The top twelve extreme sports films entered this year
11pm till late: Then DJ to see us out

How many? 1000 plus of the core industry, plus mass media, and our crew for fuel tv

Primarily SPiNACH exists to encourage people in thier sports and in filming them.

Go to http://www.spinach.tv for all the info or contact Justin Maxwell the convener for the SPiNACH Film Festival at (Mob) 0402427733 or justin@spinach.tv

Comments are due this Friday 20th August. Priority: URGENT!

The Draft Plan of Management for Kosciuszko National Park currently on exhibition until this Friday 20th August. See the Draft plan at: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/KosciuszkoNP_mgmtplan_draft

The Plan proposes that cycling be banned on ALL management roads in declared Wilderness areas that are closed to public vehicles. Declared Wilderness currently covers about 40% of KNP in three bands across the park (north, central alps and south). Thus the proposal effectively blocks longer distance touring north to south. At present cycling is allowed on management tracks in these areas. Hundreds of kilometres of tracks are affected by the proposals. There were no cycling or mountain biking representatives allowed in the 20 person community forum that was the driving force behind the Draft Plan.

In order to retain the ability for longer distance cycle touring in the Park, you are urged to make a submission, NOW! Points you could make include:

• Worldwide research shows that the environmental impacts of cycling on dirt roads are no worse than bushwalking
• As demonstrated in other parks and reserves, conflict between walkers and cyclists can easily be avoided by education and appropriate signage
• The plan is biased against cycling in natural areas in favour of bushwalking, but there are no sound ecological or environmental planning reasons the proposals being put forward
• Bushwalkers already have walking tracks designated for them which cyclists are already prohibited from using
• The plan does nothing to promote opportunities for sustainable transport and touring in natural areas.
• Arriving by bike and then touring is self-sufficient recreation, compared with driving to the trackheads then walking
• Downhillers are catered for in well defined areas. Most other mountain bikers are sane and sensible bushwalkers on bikes!

  Make sure they hear voices other than the anti-cyclist! Support the good points, highlight your concerns, and email or post your submission by Friday August 20 to:
  
  Parks & Wildlife Division
  Department of Environment & Conservation
  P.O. Box 733
  QUEANBEYAN NSW 2620

  Or email: kosciuszkopom@npws.nsw.gov.au
  Please copy to MTBA: info.mtba@mtba.asn.au and to Bicycle NSW's Advocacy Assistant, Jannine Ord: JOrd@bicyclensw.org.au
  
  Online submissions can also be made on the web site page above.

  And be sure to send a copy to:
  Premier Bob Carr
  PARLIAMENT HOUSE
  SYDNEY 2000

  A file of the proposed cycling routes in KNP is available as a jpg file (which is clearer to see what's proposed compared with the scratchy NPWS map). It can be emailed to you if you let us know.

The 2004 MTB Olympic team is now confirmed as: Josh Flemming (Chris Jongewaard was replaced by Josh Flemming on appeal), Sid Taberlay and Lisa Mathison.

Congratulations to all these very talented athletes and our best wishes are extended to you for your race in Athens (27 - 28 August).

Brisbane City Council has recently created the position of Mountain Bike Trail Care Coordinator in the Local Asset Services West Region office in Coonan Street Indooroopilly. The positions primary role is to manage mountain bike use in Mount Coot-tha Forrest. The establishment of a cooperative approach with local bicycle shops, cycling clubs and community groups is desired to help to inform and educate users on sustainable and acceptable use of mountain bikes in the Mount Coot-tha conservation area.

As part of the management of mountain bike users in Mount Coot-tha Forrest a volunteer trail care group will be established. This will enable mountain bike riders to participate in the maintenance and rehabilitation of mountain bike trails.

If you wish to obtain further information on this program please feel free to contact me at the Local Asset Services West Office at Coonan Street or telephone 3407 0099. I look forward to your ongoing participation in the future of mountain bike riding in Mount Coot-tha Forest.