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You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / By Location / Australia / NSW / NSW Trail Advocacy / ...and the rangers just keep sharing the love
confiscate your bike if your riding illegal trails, tbh people shouldnt be on them anyway so I dont really see where the problem lies.
Perhaps the issue here is that if a ranger on the trail can confiscate anything from you on the spot they are acting as judge and jury on your alleged lawlessness.
Sure, if someone is breaking the law they should be punished. Issue a penalty notice and (if the recipient challenges this) prove in a court of law that the perpetrator was doing wrong. Fine them and take their bike if they are proven guilty and that's a fitting punishment.
However, unlike the police who take video evidence of incidents and confiscate vehicles as a matter of public safety don't think a NPWS ranger could argue about riders in the bush being a public safety issue in the same way.
is enforceability. Rangers are unlikely to want or to be given the power to detain / restrain you if you refuse to hand over your bike, so it comes down to whether they will seek police intervention to do that, then whether the police can / will assist. Might be some co-operation if a "blitz" is organised for a particular problem area, but mostly they will have other priorities.
I'm not saying people should disregard the law and go and ride illegal trails. However, there are more beneficial protests / projects / issues to divert energy into tackling (i.e. trail access issues) than jumping up and down in indignation at another hollow NSW government "laura norder" initiative.
Actually it was the bit at the end that had me more immediately concerned;
" he's quite proud of the fact that he and his colleagues will be out in force in the near future monitoring the trails and issuing fines."
" he's quite proud of the fact that he and his colleagues will be out in force in the near future monitoring the trails and issuing fines."
According to some random internet user claiming to have it from a ranger that it is being proposed....
Nothing to say it's happened, is happening or will definitely happen...
Any change of legislation wont happen over night. it will have to follow due process that will require the public notification and consultation
What we don't need is storms in tea cups
they confiscate Moto's(also fine) & issue penalty notices on people walking dogs in prohibited areas!!!