You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / By Location / Australia / NSW / Northern Beaches / Northern Beaches Trail Advocacy / But They Are Illegal!
But They Are Illegal!
In response to a number of comments on here about riding single track in National Parks.
Yes, we all know NOW that riding single track in National Parks is illegal. Actually, I think this was first drawn to my attention a while back when Alchemist mentioned the riding at Bantry Bay. There didn't used to be signs at Bantry Bay (nor Oxford Falls for that matter) so I didn't even know this was National Park, let alone the rule about single track.
What I see all the recent uproar is about, is the fact that for years and years (read 10 years plus) NPWS have known we were riding where we were riding. This was obvious from bike tracks on trails they must have been patrolling and from rangers who must have seen many riders out there. NPWS knew we were riding on those trails for a very long time, long before this site came into existence even, and they did nothing.
They did nothing for years and years. They set a precedent. By not acting in any way for such a long time they basically said, "Hey, I know it says in our POM that you shouldn't be here, but... what the hey... we don't pay much attention to bits of paper and you're not doing any harm so you carry on!"
Now, for some reason NPWS have wheeled out their POM (a 10 year old POM, that only mentions bike riding in three sentences I should mention) and used the fact that bike riding doesn't get the attention it so rightly deserves in there to shut us out of trails they clearly didn't mind us riding for years and years.
This, my dear friends is what all the hoo-har is about. A precedent for access has been set and that is why everybody here feels so aggrieved!
P.S. And if someone mentions that growth in numbers has caused too much erosion and damage of late, there is one answer: there are many riders literally falling over each other to help maintain the trails they ride, all any land owner has to do is ask!
NOTE! Just because I am saying a precedent has been set this is not an invitation or excuse for anyone to ride the trails we now know are illegal. Please let's work with the powers that be and get this horrible mess sorted out as soon as possible!
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
The NPWS doesn't have a high ratio of rangers to land area. I'm dubious as to whether they knew about many of the tracks till they were publicised. I agree, however , that we had an expectation of being able to continue riding, and that consultation with stakeholders should have occurred before the expectation was thwarted.
I also think that closure of trails is excessively heavy handed. FOr example, at Bantry Bay, I acknowledge that there was an issue in relation to the aboriginal carvings. The track passes right behind them, and there is a direct route from the track to the carvings. When riding at Bantry Bay with a group, we were riding the track, and wanted to leave. We saw the route across what appeared to be merely a large flat area of sandstone to the fire trail, and rode across the carvings to leave the tracks. We only found out that we had left muddy tyreprints all over aboriginal carvings once we had lifted the bikes over the fence back onto the fire trail. There were no signs or fences on the other side.
A proportionate response to the threat of damage to the carvings would surely be to fence off the carvings from all sides, rather than simply closing the entire track. Once again, NPWS has cracked a nut with a sledgehammer.
Phew! now i have to write some nice letters to those powers that be. I don't mind volunteering to do something but i guess it letter writing for the moment.
correct again Rob
thank you
Kurt