The Canobolas Conservation Alliance has just released a 53-page report outlining the threats to the State Conservation Area on the mountain posed by the activity.

The report by Dr Colin Bower said the Orange City Council proposal for a mountain bike park would cause major environmental damage.

"This report finds that it would be impossible to establish a mountain biking track network in any part of the conservation reserve without having significant negative impact on biodiversity," he said.

"It is beyond question that the Mount Canobolas SCA is the most important nature conservation reserve in the region and must be protected in perpetuity from inappropriate development of any kind, including mountain biking development, such as proposed by OCC.

"In terms of potential harm to unique biodiversity there is no worse place in the region for the establishment of a mountain biking park."

Council has employed experts to prepare an environmental assessment study of the mountain and identify bike trail sites.

A public forum on the issue was attended by about 160 people in Orange last week.

Dr Bower said many species of flora unique to the mountain were under threat and new ones were being found.

"There are very few, if any, places that have as much biodiversity value in a relatively small area as Mt Canobolas SCA. It would be tragic if unrecognised species were pushed towards extinction by unsympathetic development, even before they are discovered."

Dr Bower has recommended buffers of at least 50 metres would need to be set for "individual plants, populations, habitat areas, threatened ecological communities and orchid hotspots to avoid damage" from mountain biking.

"The survival of 11 species endemic to the Mount Canobolas Volcanic Complex depends on the protection of their habitats," he said.

Dr Bower said because of the rarity of the species it was 'not possible' to offset losses to their populations by protecting habitats elsewhere.

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