Page 3617 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 13 September 2017
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(c) consider changes to improve the intersection of Mannheim Street and Sulwood Drive with regard to the safety and needs of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians wishing to access the Mount Taylor carpark;
(d) extend the footpath on Mannheim Street from MacKay Crescent to Sulwood Drive; and
(e) investigate the construction of a dedicated bike lane on Sulwood Drive.
This motion brings to the Assembly’s attention the value of the Mount Taylor nature reserve and the need to improve the safety of its access from Sulwood Drive. We are so lucky to have so many wonderful recreational assets at our suburban backdoors that are relatively easy to access. My wife, Louisa, and I just adore Mount Taylor, as do so many people in the Tuggeranong valley and beyond. There are closer hills for us to climb regularly, but Taylor has become our friend for a number of reasons. Among the reasons is the relative good condition of the pathway up and the fact that at pace it is still a challenging climb. I think it is also about community, the dogs that you meet, the people you have conversations with, and the number of people that you do not expect to see climbing Mount Taylor and the conversations that you do not expect to have—I recall recently seeing Senator Seselja and his wife, Ros, on the way up.
The other thing Mount Taylor has going for it are the views—stunning panoramic views of the Tuggeranong valley through to the Brindabellas on one side. Right at the moment, about three-quarters of the way up on the southern side, if you look south there is this gorgeous view with Gibraltar Rocks in the foreground and I think it is Mount Franklin in the background covered by snow. They just line up perfectly. Of course, you can also see Mount Tennent standing proudly behind Tharwa and Booroomba Rocks. It is just a great spot; I could sit up there for hours. There is a wonderful view of pretty much the entire city and suburban area to the north.
Mount Taylor nature reserve is one of Canberra’s great natural assets. It has made a remarkable recovery from the 2003 fires, which left it as a charcoal ruin. There are more than 25 pedestrian access points to its great hiking trails and viewing points. The reserve provides equestrian trails as well as a great network of walking trails right up to its summit, 855 metres above sea level.
This government has for a long period gone to great lengths to encourage people to be more active, and we certainly support that. I engage personally in that measure as well and have for a long time. Rock up to Mount Taylor at just about any time of the day or night and you will see people heeding the call, and you can tell by the number of cars in the car park. One particularly busy access point is the parking area alongside Sulwood Drive, adjacent to Mannheim Street in Kambah. A few years ago you might have seen two or three vehicles parked there, but now you will often see a couple of dozen or more. It is not just vehicles that are using this access point but also cyclists and many pedestrians.
Sulwood Drive is a busy thoroughfare connecting Erindale Drive and Tuggeranong Parkway with several feeder roads into Kambah and Wanniassa. It is heavily used by motorists and cyclists. There are no cycle lanes, nor does the roadway have sufficient
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