The momentum for seeing a major Mountain Bike Complex on Mount Canobolas is picking up and already the opponents are starting their campaign and flagging the usual concerns about environmental issues, sacred sites and so on.

I think it’s fair to say that we’re all in for another torrid time of publicity and arguments from both sides of the debate and I for one am not looking forward to the oh so predictable process and media picnic that such things generate these days.

We went through a similar process with the Macquarie Pipeline and the airport development prior to the last Local Government election. The pipeline got across the line, but the airport development didn’t, and it’s still being argued whether that decision was the right one.

What is also interesting is the way that prior to the pipeline, the debate was long, loud and exhaustive and everything possible was raised as a reason not to do it. Since however, there’s hardly been a word about it and we certainly haven’t heard any more about environmental disasters or fishing issues that were raised at the time.

The fact remains, Orange needs a major attraction of some sort that will see a steady and constant number of visitors coming here, in the same way the Zoo does for Dubbo. The sooner this happens, the sooner Orange will be on safer ground economy wise.

Let’s hope all the boxes get ticked and approved, or otherwise, in a timely manner, and without the long drawn out debate that so often happens with projects like this.

This has the potential to be a monumental attraction for Orange and the Central West. Members of the International mountain biking community have had a look at the site and believe it would be complex of world class proportions... akin to that of Bathurst's Mount Panorama. As long as all precautions are taken concerning the environment etc, this could be a huge plus for the economic growth of Orange. We need to take on a more progressive attitude in order to see our fair city flourish.