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Submitted by patrick on Mon, 18/01/2010 - 9:21am.

Too long between blogs for me - New Year's Resolution number 1. Make my blog regular every week.
I have to admire Tracy who gets her newspaper article written on time every week for publication in the Advocate. It is an incredibly valuable service for the community and for BCCAN. I know this blog is not in the same category in terms of readership but if I hope to attract readers and more particularly, regular visistors to the BCCAN website, then some sort of consistencey is essential.
There - I have given myself a good talking too so we shall see.
Another of my NYR (New Year Resolutions) though more of a 20 year resolution is that I shall do my best in making Bathurst a Bicycle Friendly City by the year 2030.
As I see it a Bicycle Friendly City would incorporate the following features:

  • cycle ways to every school in Bathurst
  • the current network of cycleways and all future additions to that network, will link up.
  • tourism features built into cycle way loops such as cafes, restaurants, wineries, museums, art galleries.
  • scenic environments worked into cycle way networks such as the improved water ways and wetlands invisioned for Bathurst's future development
  • a marked increase in the number of cycle commuters
  • a marked increase in the number of cycle shoppers
  • celebration of current cycle sports activities and future events not yet invisiged
  • and the BIGGIE - a civic square, closed to all but bicycle, mobility challenged support vehicles and pedestrian access .

The benefits of such a project include the environmental aspects of less vehicles consuming fuel, a healthier community and finally an overlooked aspect of sustainability but a happier, more convivial society. There is something about a community where a significant proportion of the people get about on bikes. They talk more, meet socially more and by travelling at a slower pace without road rage, a citizenry more at peace with itself.
A big discussion point within BCCAN at present is the go-a-head given to Newcrest Mining to signicantly increase their mining operations at the Cadia mine.
While this is a welcome and significant boost to the local economy and jobs in the area, there is the downside in that it will put increasing pressure on what is already a scarce resource - water- and the demands for energy for this operation will put further pressure on the State Government, to build furthere coal fired power stations.
These two threads have been taken up in the BCCAN discussion around this topic and there has been a concern expressed that this will put more pressure on the Bathurst Council to supply water to Cadia. BRC has strenuously denied that pressure up till now, but there is the concern that the State Government will overide the council and force the sale of this water to Newcrest.
The second concern over the energy use of the mine has prompted the suggestion that this provides an ideal opportunity for some sort of compensation the mining operations could give back to the community which will last well beyond the thirty year time frame of the life of this mine. That contribution can be in the form of a renewable energy generation capacity which will meet the needs of the mine plus a surplus for the local community. The suggestion has been that the site is ideal for wind power development and there is also the suggestion that solar thermal capacity could also be deployed successfully there as it has been in California and in Spain.
If these difficult negotiations which will proceed in the weeks and months ahead, widespread community support will be needed so please spread the word.