CORC Response to Recent Illegal Trails Media Coverage

demo man

demo man

Used to be cool.
Binaural

Binaural

Eats Squid
That is a well-written letter to the minister. Short, punchy, to the point. Hope that someone apart from the secretary reads it :(
 
FR Drew

FR Drew

Not a custom title.
John Hargreaves MLA said:
"While we understand that riders enjoy a challenge, these constructions are clearly dangerous. The safety risk and potentially irreparable damage to the environment caused by these activities are unacceptable.

“While walking tracks may increase the technical challenge to mountain bike riders, the riders using these tracks pose a great safety risk to themselves and to walkers.

Mr Hargreaves said all walking tracks are off limits to mountain bikers unless signposted otherwise.
Click to expand...
Where to start? Where to start?

"These constructions are clearly dangerous". Hmm, to people without the skill to use them, yes. So are unicycles and rollerblades, kitchen knives, power drills... Fortunately, being hidden by the makers, people with insufficient skill level shouldn't be using them at all. Being constructed by the end user, there's a fair bet that they actually match their skill level pretty much perfectly. To gumbies who cannot dirt jump, such as myself and John Hargreaves, no doubt the constructions would be dangerous. But we're not riding on them so that's that serious hazard dealth with. Phew! Crisis averted.

As far as the irreparable damage to the environment goes... Will somebody please explain to me how a fire road that is taken off the register can happily regenerate and have regrowth but some flattened dirt jumps cause damage that is irreparable? Perhaps the trees somehow "know" that the soil was used for dirt jumps previously rather than as a path for a Toyota Hilux. (Any sensible tree knows that they can put down root and re-establish themselves on what used to be a fireroad.) If I was impolite I'd label this as a crock of something unpleasant, but being a restrained adult I'll just say that I find this logic hard to accept.

The impression given is that the only reason we're riding on walking tracks is to increase the technical challenge... Um, howabout the fact that if you don't have vehicle transport it's pretty much impossible to get to any of the places in the ACT where you can legally ride? Most walking trails aren't a technical challenge, they're just the only singletrack nearby.

Take a look at Mulligans Flat, you have to head over 1km up Gundaroo Rd to get to a multi-use trail entry to the Reserve at all. All the trails leading from Horse Park Drive near Gungahlin and starting less than 100m from the road are walking trails only. If there was a prize for crap planning of where to put multi use trails to encourage responsible trail use, these guys would win it for sure.

Turkeys.
 
saundo

saundo

Likes Dirt
Does any one have the news paper article that a letter was sent about so we can read that to ?
 
FR Drew

FR Drew

Not a custom title.
Canberra Times 18 July 2006 said:
Illegal bike tracks damage endangered wildlife habitat
Tamara Glumac
Tuesday, 18 July 2006

The habitat of some of the ACT's most-endangered wildlife has been damaged by illegally constructed mountain-bike courses in nature reserves.
Patrols by rangers have been stepped up to catch the culprits after illegal bike ramps, pits and jumps were discovered at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve and on Tuggeranong Hill.

Mulligans Flat houses one of Australia's most-endangered woodland communities with species including the brown treecreeper and superb parrot.

At Tuggeranong Hill, there are added concerns about "trail-bike hoons" causing soil degradation.

Canberra Nature Parks manager Daniel Iglesias said damage at the reserves would require considerable resources to repair.

"People have physically dug up the bush to create bike jumps without realising they are destroying incredibly endangered habitat. This is habitat we really want to preserve because there is hardly any of it left," he said.

"While we allow people on bikes in general to use the reserve, they are restricted to built tracks."

Mr Iglesias said native animals were being pushed away from such areas.

"We've recently discovered there are hardly any small mammals in Canberra Nature Park. We are not saying bike riders have caused their demise but their activity is contributing to the loss of flora and fauna.

"It is having an unacceptable impact on their environment."

ACT Minister for Territories and Municipal Services John Hargreaves warned those caught using Canberra's forests, parks and reserves inappropriately faced "serious consequences".

"The safety risk and potentially irreparable damage to the environment caused by these activities are unacceptable.When we catch people acting illegally, constructions will be removed immediately and those responsible will be put before the courts," he said.

"Those who seek to do damage to our parks and reserves will not be treated lightly."

Under the Nature Conservation Act, those caught damaging or destroying a natural or constructed feature within a reserve can be fined up to $5000.
Click to expand...
ACT Gov Press Release full text was:

John Hargreaves MLA said:
BIKE RIDERS DESTROY BUSHLAND

Minister for Territories and Municipal Services, John Hargreaves, today warned those who use Canberra’s forests, parks and reserves inappropriately to ‘think again’ before acting.

Illegally constructed bike ramps, pits and jumps have been found at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve and on Tuggeranong Hill – areas that provide habitat for some of the ACT’s most endangered flora and fauna.

Mr Hargreaves said that while most people do use the land appropriately, those who do not face serious consequences.

“While we understand that riders enjoy a challenge, these constructions are clearly dangerous. The safety risk and potentially irreparable damage to the environment caused by these activities are unacceptable.

“When we catch people acting illegally, constructions will be removed immediately and those responsible will be put before the courts.

“Those who seek to do damage to our parks and reserves will not be treated lightly.

“Bike riders are also using walking tracks that are not built to take the impact of mountain bike activity, leading to soil degradation problems including soil compaction, increased run-off, and weed invasion.

“While walking tracks may increase the technical challenge to mountain bike riders, the riders using these tracks pose a great safety risk to themselves and to walkers.

Mr Hargreaves said all walking tracks are off limits to mountain bikers unless signposted otherwise.

“To cater for the mountain bike community and its need for technically challenging narrow tracks, the ACT Government provides a number of dedicated mountain bike trails, particularly within Kowen and Majura pine forests. Though less used by walkers, these trails are occasionally used by unauthorised horse riders and motorcycle riders so all users should exercise caution.

“World-class mountain bike tracks are also under construction on the eastern side of Mount Stromlo. The design of these tracks has involved community consultation and includes loop, beginner, medium and advanced cross country course in addition to a four-cross and downhill course. The courses have been designed by world leading mountain bike course designer, Glenn Jacobs, and are due for completion in December 2006,” Mr Hargreaves said.
Click to expand...
Incedentally, it would appear that the Brown Treecreeper isn't actually endangered, it's pretty common and the Superb Parrot is primarily threatened by Mynah birds (not mountain bikers).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top