Brokers Nose, Wollongong

Ivan

Ivan

Eats Squid
I just heard a rumour that more cameras have been put up in the Brokers Nose area to catch MTBers.

Last week, cameras and helicopters(!) were used to track and fine Motos in the Appin area, so clearly people using the bush inappropriately are public enemy number 1, and no expense will be spared in their kill/capture.

It's probably best to stay out of the area.:)
 
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M

Machine

Likes Bikes
I'm pretty sure their not after MTBers just moto bikes. As long as you ride on eastern side of the highway you will be right just stay off water board side there's enough signs to warn you anyways.
This is was taken out of [PDF]
NPWS - Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area issues paper ...
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/.../pomIssuespaperIllawarraescarpmen...

Also if you go to the NPWS and look under IESCA it will tell you where to ride MTB.


3.5.2. Public Access
Some sections of the IESCA are landlocked by privately owned land and cannot be accessed without the permission of neighbouring landholders. This may limit the usage of these areas of the reserve.
3.5.3. Public Safety
The IESCA contains features such as cliffs and mining facilities that are inherently dangerous and need to be managed to protect public safety. Some walking tracks and lookouts will be maintained and signposted to facilitate safe and easy access by all users, whilst other less formed, more remote access routes will give people a sense of achievement, isolation, and solitude. Access routes such as walking tracks and management trails within the IESCA and other NPWS reserves within the region are managed to meet this range of user needs.
The IESCA includes lookouts and walking tracks along the top of the escarpment. The NPWS recognises that fencing off natural features near these sites may detract from their appeal. Reasonable safety measures will be taken based on the expected usage and risk. Safety measures are reassessed following any incident. For example, the August 1998 severe rainfall event and the 2002 bushfires both caused damage to a number of locations within the IESCA. To reduce risks to public safety, it was necessary to temporarily close some areas until repairs could be completed.
People undertaking adventure activities in the IESCA expect that there is a certain degree of risk involved, however these activities may also endanger other users. For example, rock climbing and abseiling may draw spectators to hazardous locations and mountain biking on downhill bushland trails can achieve high speeds and the steep slopes and poor visibility hinder evasive action.
 
S

SilverSP

Likes Bikes
As I'm in Helensburgh I got a leaflet in the mail a few weeks back about motor riders as well using tracks. I read it and it said nothing about MTBers.
Theres plenty of motors here and I've met a few on the firetrails as well.
They bother me in the sense that I'm worried I'll meet them on a blind corner as they scream through the tracks and smack into them although chances are slim as I can hear them coming and just pull over and wait for them to pass.

Needless to say the leaflet drop doesn't have appeared to change anything around here as I still hear them on the tracks.

No cameras here either but the firetrails have been getting fixed up in the past few weeks due to all the rain causing slips and also the trees getting cut back so more chances of the motors being spotted by people working on the trails.

Big fines too, 25K if I recall.
 
N

NEEDA(nother)BIKE!

Likes Bikes
You will never stop motorbike riders. It may scare a few off but there will always be plenty. You can't blame them, just like you, they want somewhere to ride. I grew up riding motos all my life, and anything ever written or made to stop motorbikes is just ignored, rode around or over. Of course they're worried about getting caught, but what can they do, Its what they love doing... They're just like you but with a motor, looking for a place to ride.
Nathan
 
Ivan

Ivan

Eats Squid
NEEDA(nother)BIKE! said:
You will never stop motorbike riders. It may scare a few off but there will always be plenty. You can't blame them, just like you, they want somewhere to ride. I grew up riding motos all my life, and anything ever written or made to stop motorbikes is just ignored, rode around or over. Of course they're worried about getting caught, but what can they do, Its what they love doing... They're just like you but with a motor, looking for a place to ride.
Nathan
Click to expand...
Its true Nathan.

Local and state governments need to wake up and provide Motos with legal areas to ride, rather than just taking them away.
 
N

NEEDA(nother)BIKE!

Likes Bikes
Exactly! :)
Because the few areas that are legal to ride at are usually places like motocross tracks which usually costs to sign up for the year, and costs everytime you ride there. So a fair bit of money really. Plus you're lucky to have one track to every two or three towns. And also, just like riding DH, you get bored of the one place all the time, you want to explore, ride new places. And on top of that, you may be keen for trail riding, not just motocross.
Just like you said, they need more legal places to ride. All extreme sports people seem to get frowned upon, we all need more room :)
 
wilddemon

wilddemon

Likes Dirt
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/media/DecMedia11070502.htm

Media release: 5 July 2011
A recent blitz on illegal vehicle activity by several land management authorities and Police in bushland between Wollongong through to Appin and Campbelltown has resulted in a huge number of infringement notices being issued.
Police, Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA), the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Campbelltown Council, together issued a total of almost 70 fines in a weekend operation involving a large number of staff working cooperatively with the assistance of a helicopter.

"Trail bike riding, as well as mountain biking, can impact on water quality because of the significant erosion problems they create, and we work hard to target this illegal activity in joint surveillance operations like this one.
"Hidden cameras located throughout the Special Areas also help us establish patterns of behaviour so we can best target these surveillance blitzes."

"The signs at the beginning of the various management trails are clear about the prohibition of public vehicle access.
"The result from this operation is in addition to almost 30 infringement notices issued during a similar blitz back in March."
The authorities have pledged to continue to mount blitzes on illegal activities in these lands.

It would be nice if they could just spell out where you can ride and where you cannot, but I suppose that they don't want to define where the illegal trails are either. In the website the only riding trail in the area is the Bulli to Tarrawanna trail. I want to take my young nephew for some rides up there but I don't want to encourage him in "criminal activity". I was thinking about the trail that kicks off from the top of Ousley car park. Is that kosher? Geez things have changed, as kids me and my mates went wherever we wanted, treated peoples' property with a bit of respect (excluding the trespass bit obviously) and just apologised and left when we overstepped the mark and got told to piss off. We weren't chased down by cops and sure as hell weren't chased by helicopters. I suppose I will just have to go up there and sniff it out. The NSW environment website said that areas that are not to be ridden are clearly marked so I'll go by that I suppose.

I just want to go for a bit of ride with my nephew (11 yo) and help him develop some skills before he attempts the likes of Bulli downhill, Keira tracks, and Appin. If anyone cares to PM me with some solid advice that would be greatly appreciated. He's at an age where he's keen to get out and have some fun, but will just as easily sloth about and watch telly or get on the playstation.

Demon
 
R

rides on

Squid
That heliopter is buzzing around again

Twice this week the helicopter has been buzzing around the escarpment. Does any one knowre just after motos or chasing MTB. Last time I was up there which would have been 6mths ago we bumped into two cops on motos they gave a polite how ya going and kept on there merry way. Has this changed. Been riding up there for over 20yrs.
 
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