Location:  The Woolshed, Stratton St, Normandale, Lower Hutt. 7:30pm
Present
Marco  Renall, Tyrone McGrath, Matt Clarke, Craig McGinnity, Nicole Swain, Ian  O’Donoghue, Jeremy Paterson-GWRC, Gordon Macdonald, Dirk Naish, Ryan  Williamson, Ash Sparks, Andrew Duncan.
Apologies
Steve  Elden, Neil Hickford, Chris Wootton.
Marco  opened the meeting.
Previous  minutes were accepted.
General Business
Marco  has contacted Corrections Dept and Community Services to ask for free labour  and given up. They need MOB coverage  which is the main issue. A cell site  tower has been planned for Honey Suckle Gr so Marco rang 2 degrees and they  said it’s only under review.
With  the PNP Rd 4 race coming up it was agreed by emails to pay Don MacLeod (Makara  Peak track builder) $250 for 12.5 hrs gravel spreading. Marco has mailed the BAMBA cheque. PNP will pay the balance of $250 to Don. Don rang Marco Tues night to say he had done  the allocated 25hrs @ $20 p/hr.
BAMBA  will hold a working bee to try and finish the spreading with some of it going  down Big Weta. Working bee will be 9am  Sun 21st Nov meet at Woolshed with wheelbarrows. Tyrone has found the BAMBA hidden tools in  the forest that Ground Effect paid for.  Craig said the gravelling won’t hold on descents but Ash & Tyrone both own a compactor if required. Jeremy said we may have to build dips in the flatter sections of Danzig for drainage.  Craig said we should redirect the track near the bottom of Big Weta.
Marco  handed over a cheque from PNP for $640 =  128 riders @ $5 per rider from the bicycle.co.nz PNP MTB Series.
Marco  said we paid $101 to buy the domain www.bamba.org.nz which has an annual fee through a domain name seller??. Later he found a free web builder at www.allteams.co.nz so he cancelled the
paid one and has loaded our basic info thru allteams. Screen shots were passed around. There is more info he can load soon. Tyrone  has seen a man wearing nothing but tramping boots at the bottom of Belmont Trig track. Jeremy said call Police and him if spotted again. There are children  around.
Jeremy  will work on a track signage plan with BAMBA and GWRC. There is a code of conduct to meet and our  MTBNZ signs will be installed at the same time. Nicole can make signage if required.
It was agreed that beer and chippies could be bought by Nicole for meetings. Nicole was reimbursed $25-30 for tonight.
Marco gave Jeremy a copy of an MOU between PNP Cycling Club and WCC, to help GWRC draw up an MOU with BAMBA. It will outline what both parties expect from each other including a 2-5 year
development plan and merge it in to the LTCCP (Long Term Council Community Plan). The old possum bait trails in Otonga are being slowly maintained by Marco up to a rideable standard and will
be included. Access from Otonga to Belmont is difficult and steep and will be reviewed. One track is out of bounds for MTB. BAMBA must refer to our trails as Dual Use to get buy in from other parties.
Andrew has plans for a trail from the Hill Rd car park to Old Coach Rd.
Jeremy would like to reroute the trail across Sweetacres to avoid a steep pinch. GWRC have a budget for trail work but if BAMBA supply volunteers the money will go much further. Only Jeremy can use power tools in BRP and will assist if asked.
Ian said WCC have spent $50 per metre on contractors to build trails, compared to volunteers who built North Face at Makara Peak for $2 per metre.
Craig wants to build a Pump Track about the size of a small building. It would be a great asset to BRP and dirt supply should be free. Jeremy and Craig will discuss a location and plans.
Jeremy advised that the exit of Big Weta is dangerous for other BRP users. He will look at turning the corner left before the gate and exit over a small cattle-stop like WCC have used on Skyline.
Craig wants to run a downhill race and will use Mike the Hippy from Wgtn MTB Club to help. Jeremy said he can apply online for concession. Marco can help with paperwork if required because he has done it for XC racing. Choppers corners need bigger berms for DH riders. Ric Balfour is an expert trail builder if we need advice. He just ran a course in Wgtn.
Marco asked if the Danzig forest will ever be harvested. Jeremy said it is safe for at least 5 years. If it is highly utilized and has an extensive trail network then we are more likely to be able to keep it
protected during any logging.
Matt, Jeremy and Ian all worked on a map discussing new track potential. Jeremy wants us to draw up a 1-5 year plan of future track works.
Meeting closed 9:10pm
Marco Renall, Secretary BAMBA
