Ardmore MX track petition

[ArcherWC]

Save the Ardmore MX track!

Anybody who rides or has ridden a dirtbike, knows about Ardmore MX track and has most likely ridden there at some stage.

For those that don't know, the track is having a legal battle with the council at the moment over consents, with the council swinging a big club and closing it down, subject to the consents.

An online petition has been started by John Cobb who runs the track, we need the support of the whole community to keep it open

http://www.petitiononline.com/Ardmore/petition.html

Sign up and show your support for a great track and all the hard work that goes into keeping it running

[faithrider]

yeah i agree, would be a waste of a track if it closes. There isnt enough tracks as there is and with one more going to close there will be very few places to ride legally.

[Danger]

Done, only took a minute. Please sign this petition, even if you never ride there. Its times like this that all bikers need to stand up and be counted! Even you road bikers out there, you know we would do the same for you. The loss of this track will have wide ranging effects, not only to riders but business's that support those riders. Healthy business's in the Motor Cycle industry are good for all of us riders, from all disciplines.

[cheese]

Done!

10 characters

[ArcherWC]

I have sent a PM to spank asking him to please post this on the home page as well

[GR81]

have signed!!!
have also added to my site... http://www.runfmx.co.nz/

damn the man!

[Dai]

As a Papakura resident I decided that my details should reflect this.

He is a polititian and voters count.

[charles23]

done, Fu*K the bureaurats and those pompous city dwellers who have moved out into the country, the track was there first!

[DEATH_INC.]

Done. I remember this place when it was opened years ago.....just basically a paddock :)

[arj127]

Hope it all works out for John and the Ardmore members.

[avgas]

done and dusted

[dammad1]

All done!!!!

[JeremyW]

131! cumon guys and girls we can do better than that!

[telliman]

sweet, all sorted

[Firefight]

161 atm.


F/F

[B0000M]

im #100 ive told a few more ppl, the trouble is most dirt bikers dont know how to use computers

[BAD DAD]

Before I go ahead and sign it ( anyway ), who was there first, the club or the complaining residents ? Just to be sure.

[GR81]

Before I go ahead and sign it ( anyway ), who was there first, the club or the complaining residents ? Just to be sure.
the club has been there for 25 years...

watch this article from TV1's closeup if you want...

http://gr81.orcon.net.nz/misc/CloseUpArdmore.wmv

[Nz go-pedr]

my whole family has signed it.

[kro]

I saw this on the news the other day, and to be honest, this is very typical NZ, where environment courts, and technicalities hold us to ransom.

NZ wants International recognition, and the associated tourism revenue, and so forth, but really does nothing to promote this, other than over zealously guarding it's clean green image, and especially where motorsport is involved. We just legislate, and throw any small issues out of proportion, until every tom dick and harry suddenly has an opinion on a topic they would never have even considered, had it not been for the negative publicity.

[spookytooth]

..........

[oldguy]

Done, will get the whanau to sign as well #194

[Kyle]

Never been there, never even heard of the place, but i still signed. There is need for more tracks all over nz and in particular near the bigger citys, Hamilton has nowhere legal at all, unless you go for miles out of town.
There used to be a place that was designated for dirtbikes here, but mountian bikers put the effort in and got it turned into an offical mountian bike track. Im not bitter, just because i helped carve the track with my back wheel and with my body through the gorse, and then cant use it, nope, no bitterness here.

[chanceyy]

done

sign #209

[barty5]

mines done as well

[scott411]

i have heard that the council have backed down, not confirmed but it is good news

[Dai]

Just like all local govenments and national ones. They will run roughshod over anyone until they are sttod up to.

The more that stand up and the more vocal the faster they back down.

[WRT]

Signed. Come on KB, unite and get in behind this - dont rest until it is CONFIRMED the track will remain open.

[PZR]

I am a Papkura resident as well so I exercised my rights and wrote to my mayor stating I believed the track should be opened again. I will also sign the petition as well. Here is his response and no its not being reopened as of today by the look of this.


Headers deleted for my privacy


Thanks for your e-mail on this.

The various press articles on this have not highlighted the fact that we have been working for 18 months now with the promotors of the event to try to get them properly consented. Their lease expired in 1995 and they are not consented for the activity they are undertaking.

This all seems bureaucratic to those who read the press, but there is a need for proper process under the law that we have to implement. They agreed in June 2005 to go through a resource consent process. They put in an application in 2005, submissions were received, and then at the 11 th hour when a hearing date was being set, they withdrew from the process, on January 11 this year. Council had no way out other than to serve an abatement notice and encourage them to get back to the table.

I met with the promoters last week, and I am hopeful that they will re-join the process. They tell me that they engaged some <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Queen street</st1:address></st1:Street> lawyers who told them they should withdraw – I think this was an error, and it has only fueled the fire from the locals.

We are trying to get it resolved, but they need to return to the process they signed up to. It is in their hands.

Regards John







(John Robertson he's the mayor)





Disappointing but no surprises there. Write him a letter or email. Politicians love getting mail otherwise they have to make up their own minds.
What I did find interesting was when talking with some hard core dirt bike track users is that the track is not actually a club as in a society, its actually a privatly owned business and while that is no problem maybe its time to turn some of those profits back into the business.
But lets help fight this as the track is a real plus and as usual lately a small group is sticking it to a large group. Thats not democracy in action in my book.

<o:p> </o:p>

[PZR]

Oh yeah here is his address

jrobertson@papakura.govt.nz

[Danger]

Yes, lets all send him a message, and keep it real and not stoop to the level the Mayor might expect from a bunch of dirt bikers. Intelligent articulate and polite messages will have a more positive effect than saying what might be your first reaction when responding to the Councils actions. :dodge:
Lets show him that dirt bikers are better than the stereo typical misconceptions he might have of us.:Punk:

[Spyked]

There are a number of recreational facilities already under threat. Ardmore aerodrome and the NZKC exhibition centre to name two more to start with. It's time for the Council to respond to the needs of the wider community rather than a small but vocal pressure group.

[PZR]

There are a number of recreational facilities already under threat. Ardmore aerodrome and the NZKC exhibition centre to name two more to start with. It's time for the Council to respond to the needs of the wider community rather than a small but vocal pressure group.

Yeh I am always fasinated by people who spend mega bucks and move next to airports (Ardmore) the sewerage ponds, race tracks (wait till someone moves close to Meremere strip) never mind Western Springs and then bitches about it and gets it closed. Pisses me off. I understand that locals need protection but it works both ways

[gordons]

I have signed the petition as well. Immigrating to NZ soon and will support my sport 101%. If these facilities are closed down people will just ride at illegal places, it is proved over and over again. It is not like motorcycles will dissapear?! It is almost always about money or a minority that complains.
Here we have a huge problem with quads riding on public roads and sometimes youngsters without helmets. These conservative people that complain really makes me sick, it is generally them that says no, biking is dangerous and it is a matter of time before you will be die etc. etc. What is the statistics of fatalities on bikes in comparison with cars that includes innocent passengers????

[NordieBoy]

Anybody who rides or has ridden a dirtbike, knows about Ardmore MX track and has most likely ridden there at some stage.

Anybody?

Where is Ardmore?

[Fat Tony]

Done, not that they're likely to listen to a pom :innocent:

[PZR]

Anybody?

Where is Ardmore?
South end of Auckland next to Papakura

[cheese]

is tghe land actually owned by John? or is it council land? can he run it not as a donation only on private land?

[scott411]

the council owns the land and leases it to john very cheaply

[berg boy]

This is nuts. The Ardmore Club caters for all South Auckland dreamers and youngsters with asperations of greatness. What would be left ?

[Iva]

the council owns the land and leases it to john very cheaply
:love: So cheap it costs $1-00 per year.

[Big Dog]

signature 1677.

[Wellyman]

I have signed. I belive Ardmore is a great track for all ages and riding types. Would be a shame to loose it.
WM

[Big Dog]

I have signed. I belive Ardmore is a great track for all ages and riding types. Would be a shame to loose it.
WM

I don't even know how to ride dirt, other than a short thrash on farm bikes in paddocks on a few occasions. I just think it sucks that the govt (local and national bodies) are forever trying to close down the LEGAL, relatively SAFE avenues for the youth of today to express their individualism and partake of some positive role modeling.

Next thing you know we will have nothing legal for kids to do and the same govt will wonder why crime and school bullying have gone up.

Worse we will fall of the world stage of motorsport all together because there is nowhere for the youth of New Zealand to blood themselves in.

The other motivation is simple in this pc world today if they are successful in closing this icon what will the cost be to open another?

Millions by the time you have:
Resource consent
Local Tribal approval
A track designer brought in to ensure the safety of the riders
A second consultant to take away the safety of the riders in favour of safety of the spectators
Consent from the local ratepayers
A suitable block of land that is suitably zoned.


This MUST not be allowed to happen.
No I have never ridden fast over a dirt jump.
Yes I want to.
Yes I want my children to be able to if they so desire.
Yes I would rather the children of this country were out getting dirty, oily and breaking a few bones than out committing crimes or playing playstation.

That is what being a child (OR an adult) with ambition is all about, being able to test the boundaries for themselves instead of being told that the world is flat and being forced to believe it.


Inspiration is not the byproduct of regulation.
Regulation is the death knell of inspiration.

**Rant over wanders off to hang out the washing**

[cheese]

Um..... the track is open now......

[GR81]

www.amamx.co.nz

[Big Dog]

Um..... the track is open now......

Oh that's definitely me. Late to everything

[nudemetalz]

ooops.....I signed too.... :doh:

[dammad1]

It may be open now, but it is still an ongoing issue that you can be sure we haven't heard the last of!

[jimmy 2006]

i heard from John that the council are planning to do random testing now and then. Also that they try to pick the days with the least wind because the noise readings are then in the councils favour. he also said at the last meeting that if people just stuck to their normal stock standard pipes his readings would be up to 4 decibels below the agreed level instead of 2 or 3 higher. So a big thing we can all do when we ride there is to change back to our original pipes/exausts.... otherwise all his work is wasted!

[B0000M]

that if people just stuck to their normal stock standard pipes his readings would be up to 4 decibels below the agreed level instead of 2 or 3 higher. So a big thing we can all do when we ride there is to change back to our original pipes/exausts


are you just referring to 4 strokers? on a 2 stroke, i cannot tell the difference in noise level between standard and aftermarket pipes

[jimmy 2006]

yea. sorry. it is the 4 strokes that cause the problems.

[NordieBoy]

Ever been to a classic MX?
Some of those 2 strokes'll make your ears bleed :D

[scott411]

Ever been to a classic MX?
Some of those 2 strokes'll make your ears bleed :D

but 2 stroke noise does not travel that far, four stroke noise does, all offraod bikes need to get quieter

[Antipigs]

I done motorcross for 8 or so years. In this time i rode on the ardmore track many many times and can personally say that it is a well groomed, well looked after track and i would personally be PISSED OFF if they were to shut this down.. Please sign the online petition wether you ride on the road or off the road.. It is an awesome track and would be a shame to loose it.. :angry:

[Mattyc]

I tell ya though.. my mate lives up the road past the ardmore MX track hes a rider and is not bothered by the track, but a few of his whinging neighbours are what started this whole thing but when the wind is blowing up the hill you can hear the 4 strokes tractoring around, but cant hear the 2 strokes.. actually you generally cant hear the 2 strokes unless your directly behind them as their noise doesnt resonate like a 4 stroke. It has been roughly since 4 stroke mx bikes have been on the scene that the residents have complained..



the moral of my post is dont buy 4 stroke MX'ers they are just too noisy :P

isnt it only people who are scared to ride 2 stroke MXer's who ride 4 strokers ? It used to just be old men.. but now i notice a lot of novices riding them 4 strok 250's - personally the 4 stroke 250's dont have enough herbs for my lard ass. but each to their own.

[Reckless]

I tell ya though.. my mate lives up the road past the ardmore MX track hes a rider and is not bothered by the track, but a few of his whinging neighbours are what started this whole thing but when the wind is blowing up the hill you can hear the 4 strokes tractoring around, but cant hear the 2 strokes.. actually you generally cant hear the 2 strokes unless your directly behind them as their noise doesnt resonate like a 4 stroke. It has been roughly since 4 stroke mx bikes have been on the scene that the residents have complained..
.


You should email this directly to John via their web site. I'm sure he can ban the 4 strokes with the super trap mufllers etc. and save the track for us all.

[NordieBoy]

You should email this directly to John via their web site. I'm sure he can ban the 4 strokes with the super trap mufllers etc. and save the track for us all.

How about having...
I don't know...
A noise level bikes have to be under?

[B0000M]

ive seen a noise level posted up places before, but i dont think anyone is enforcing it

[NordieBoy]

but i dont think anyone is enforcing it
There's your problem right there.

[Mattyc]

i think its around 95db what they use at most motorsport events

A DB meter is available from DSE at a reasonable price...

[ozrobo]

done i havnt been there but i was planning to take the bike out there when its running again

[PRYDEE]

Im from Dunedin,i ride in the south island only, but for the sake of 1minute (and it didnt even take that long)hopefully my signature will help you get the result you want.
As said further up the page - this is a time where all riders need to stand up and support the sport.

[Macktheknife]

Over 1700 signatures now, just added mine.
Thanks for letting us know mate.

[motorbyclist]

yea i don't think we can just blame four strokes, but all bikes over the standard limit - which just happens to be alot of four strokes - and that 96 decibels should be enforced at places like ardmore where noise is an issue (if you really "need" the 2% power boost i think you should practice more)

i know my yz400f is 116 decibels at half revs with all the standard testing, as such i keep my riding to a minimum around my house to appease the one neighbour (out of 12) who will complain (and we tell to f-off, long story) and do most of my riding at woodhill/rides out in the middle of nowhere. i would quieten it but it came with the pipe and i can't afford a quiet one (poor student syndrome - these summer holidays i might have to make one)

i have no problem with sound testing and enforcement; i know my bike is loud and if i get sent home because of it it's my own silly fault. i personally wouldn't want to see my actions put other riders out of venues.

i hope all the others out there with loud bikes see the same way...

oh and about unnecessary noise - i idle through carparks at rides, even if it means idling in 4th gear... why can't others do the same? i get really annoyed (and i'm sure everyone here agrees) by those idiots, mostly on 2-stokes, who rev the guts out of their bike in the carpark going up and down, often showering cars/riders in stones, doing wheelies, hurt themselves in the carpark, are often slow on the tracks, and make an almighty 2-stroke racket generally pissing everyone else off - if you are one of those people, STOP IT you look like an idiot:angry2:

end rant:whistle:

[motorbyclist]

1751 Signatures Total:Punk:

[NordieBoy]

There was a Yam 450 the other weekend on the 2-hour that had lost the endcap and baffling.
Twas... Noisey.
They didn't pull him off and get him to fix it.
This was an MNZ race.

[motorbyclist]

well aslong as he started with the thing quiet we can't blame him...

man, i've heard a 426 without a muffler and i bet that 450 was loud indeed!

[4wheeler]

I tell ya though.. my mate lives up the road past the ardmore MX track hes a rider and is not bothered by the track, but a few of his whinging neighbours are what started this whole thing...

haha... your mate lives near the track but he also uses it... no wonder he's not bothered by it. A few whinging neighbours? bs The fact is sport, most people i.e Papakura ratepayers ( old and newer residents a like) living near the track dont use it, and dont and never have wanted a comercially driven and illegally operating moto-x track (used mainly by outsiders) operating on their land in their backyard. And up until now they have been shut out of having a say in the matter because the Papakura council has in the past pissed on the local residents by ignoring their complaints which originated because of the councils failure to enforce the conditions of the origional consent under the town and country planning act which did not include the land to be used for a commercialy operated and competitive moto-x racing on an excavated track

Dont beleive me? ask John Cobb, he knows all about it

[motorbyclist]

so why move in next to a motorcross track if they don't like the noise?

seems downright stupid to then complain


same thing happened to western springs - they even had the cheek to use land values as an argument when that was what allowed them to buy the property in the first place!

[4wheeler]

Not all the objectors who oppose the track have moved in to the area since the track was first used in the 1980s. Some of them have been here a lot longer than moto-x racing existed on the ardmore-quarry road site.

The comparison with western springs is not really valid for a number of reasons. The land around western springs was allowed to be urbanized after the speedway was developed ; in contrast ardmore is zoned rural with corresponding tight restrictions on development, and it already has very high property values with property owners paying high rates to match. If in the future… 20 30 or 40 years time if semi- urbanization catches up with ardmore and the moto-x track still exists then I expect the nimby scenario will kick in in a bigger way. Then you will have a situation similar to western springs.

You have a valid point about people moving in to an area adjacent to an existing site like a moto-x track and then complaining about the noise. Regardless of the legitimacy of the way the site is used, to knowingly move within earshot of it and then complain… I agree with you that it’s stupid, and not only that it’s arrogant. But countering that, as far as I can tell the general feeling from residents, old and new alike, is that in recent years the noise level has increased too much and that the operation at the track had become too big.

[motorbyclist]

well i would agree that tracks may seem to be getting louder

the only muffler you can buy for your bike is a louder one - it's very hard to find a quiet one

if they aren't already, they should be enforcing noise limits

[Donut]

Enforcing noise limits could perhaps save the track but its far too pc these days, and once noise limits are put in place people will have more to complain about, insisting that its not below the limit or setting unreasonable limits to begin with.. and what about the future of the track. If noise limits are set then are people still going to use it after paying money for new mufflers or extra baffle, or will they just go somewhere else.

[ArcherWC]

Even though I no longer ride off road, I still fully support what John is trying to continue to do at Ardmore. He provides a fantastic facility reasonably close to the city.
When I last discussed the issues of noise with him, they were planning to ban the more common noisy aftermarket systems (pro circuit mainly I think)

Get over yourself 4wheeler, the support shown through this petition, shows that there is clearly more support for keeping it open than shutting it down.

I hope in this case that the majority does rule

[loneranger]

well said!