Residents claiming the community was railroaded into trail upgrades at Isaacs Ridge have furthered their opposition, calling on the ACT Auditor-General to investigate.
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The appeal to scrutinise the plan and consultation process was submitted in person to the ACT Audit Office on April 21, however the ACT Auditor-General advised "the ACT Audit Office is unable to provide comment".
The group, now calling themselves Friends of Isaacs Ridge (FIR), has been collecting evidence they believe demonstrates several project managers working on the case for the trail upgrades, designs and public consultation were not impartial as they competed in mountain biking or were office bearers at mountain biking associations.
"The FIR group is disgusted in this conflict of interest that controlled the entire project as a "pet" project that pushed aside the ACT Equestrian Association, walkers, runners, dog walkers and families that rely on Isaacs pines being a non-high impact sport area and we will pursue answers and highlight this injustice as we head to the election," Isaacs resident Dugald Holmes said.
A Territory and Municipal Services spokesman said the directorate had not yet received formal notification from the Auditor-General of this investigation but said the staff in question acted "impartially and with probity at all times".
"TAMS deliberately align the skills and experience of their staff with particular projects to benefit the outcomes for all concerned," he said.
"For example experienced road design engineers will be appointed project officers for road projects. Experienced and passionate ecologists are appointed to managing river corridor rehabilitation projects. And in this case, an experienced architect with a recreational facility design background was engaged to manage this parks and recreation project."
The spokesman said there was no real or perceived conflict of interest, but to minimise any perception of this the staff had been removed from procurement activities.
Isaacs residents publicly outlined the view community consultation had been skewed to serve the interest of the mountain biking community and this hampered other stakeholders' input on the design and resolution of safety concerns.
The ACT Equestrian Association has particular concerns about safeguards in areas where riders, horses and pedestrians intersect and are continuing to have close conversations with ACT Parks and Conservation about finding appropriate solutions.
However work on the renovated downhill trails is almost complete.
Weeks away from a public launch, Isaacs residents hope an investigation will put a stop to work until safety concerns are aired properly and resolved.
"We shouldn't be where we are right now," Mr Holmes said.
"This hasn't been done in accordance with sound planning and consultation. If that is proven, which is what the group is pursuing right now, the whole project is not on a solid foundation."
