Water-damaged timber donated by Boral and Forestry Corporation of New South Wales has seen an exciting new track launched in Jacks Ridge Mountain Bike Park in the Nambucca State Forest.
The new track was built by the Nambucca Valley Cycle Club after members decided the park needed more ‘zest’ to keep pace with the growing enthusiasm for enduro riding and more challenging cross-country trails.
While the project was in planning for a while, the timber donation was a shot in the arm for the club, Nambucca Valley Cycle Club member Peter Joyce said.
“The new track follows 18 months of planning, which was fast-tracked by this generous timber donation,” Peter said.
“The supply of decking timber written off from the Murwillumbah floods has meant the club could complete the major structures, thus completing the trail. We are not a big club and the timber cost was a big hurdle for the Dead Cow track project, so the donation by Boral was really the thing that made it happen.”
Mountain bikers across the Mid North Coast and beyond can challenge themselves on the newly launched and unique track.
“If you’re looking for a mountain bike challenge, the two-kilometre Dead Cow track is now open for business, with jumps, gap jumps, bridges and log rolls,” Peter said.
“Most of these elements also feature a ‘B- line’ to cater for a wider range of skills. We are very fortunate to be the recipients of such beautiful timber and wish to formally thank Forestry Corporation and Boral for their generous contribution.”
Forestry Corporation’s Strategic Projects and Programs leader Justin Black said the track infrastructure was completed under the Community Timber Partnerships, which was formed by Forestry Corporation of NSW, Boral Timber and Planet Ark to salvage around 1000 cubic metres of flooring and decking products impacted by the Murwillumbah floods in 2017.
The timber, which is enough to install new timber flooring in roughly 1000 homes, had been written off by insurers as it was not suitable for use as a flooring product and destined to be destroyed.
Instead, it is now being distributed to community projects for use in non-flooring applications.
“We’re excited to have played a part in creating an asset for the community will use and enjoy for many years to come,” Justin said.
“When we heard about such a large volume of timber being written off, in some cases for damage as minor as water staining, we were determined to salvage it for local community projects. We’re looking forward to working with our partners to give this timber a new lease of life and create renewable, durable, beautiful timber assets for many more local communities to enjoy.”
The Community Timber Partnerships Project is endorsed by Planet Ark, under their Make it Wood programme.
