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More Trail Bike Watch...


christine's picture

By christine - Posted on 11 January 2010

So! this morning I am driving up past Lizard Rock on my way to work and there is a nice truck parked there – a closed in one like food goes in and behind it being unloaded are four men on four yellow trail bikes....I called Frenchs Forest Police who were very nice even though he didn’t know that trail bikes weren’t allowed in Oxford Falls and he told me that its not their jurisdiction but rather the National Parks.
He was great and said he would send a cop car up there (probably to shut me up as I was waffling on about how dangerous four trail bikes coming across horses up there is) and he suggested he may also call the national parks as I explained that last week the national parks said we were to call the police,
...and no, I didn’t stop, I didn’t see what they were doing until I was beside them on the bend, and I have no intention of being abused by four blokes so I also didn’t turn around which means I didn’t get their number plate either... (its not like I have a nondescript car!)
So WHO do we call or do we just say, ‘good on you, have a great ride?!’

I have to say, I wonder why I stick to the legal trails when the national parks have such a low level of interest. Its insulting

herzog's picture

Make sure when you ring the cops to use the magic word "unregistered".

That's the bit that concerns the cops. I was riding the MTB at Lucas Heights a few months back and saw some coppers (on Police Dirtbikes) booking guys on unregistered trailbikes.

hawkeye's picture

When speaking with the cop who was managing my traffic incident with the car, she said that the rego number is vital. Nothing happens without it.

Given the difficulty I have had getting to find out the name of the owner of the car that took me out (still don't know) I think you can be pretty comfortable Christine that the trail bikers will not be able to trace you, should you have decided to circle back to get the van's rego.

+1 for mentioning the word "unregistered" - that's a guaranteed hot button. Smiling

christine's picture

Well, aside from driving an SS ute, I have personalised plates, so, being a girl in a V8 with those plates they would have to be decidedly dim not to remember it! Especially if I drive past, stare, do a U-turn and then drive off again – most peculiar behavior!
As for being unregistered, I don’t see that that matters since they transported the bikes by truck – one you can’t see into.

marhleet's picture

up to there unregistered ...
it's the use, off road, of an un-insured (3rd party property) vehicle

as much as it may be a no-no to motor bike ride there, it's a BIG no-no to do it unregistered

christine's picture

but since the policeman wasn't even sure that Oxford Falls is off limits I can't see them sprinting out there to stop anyone... Smiling

herzog's picture

Christine - it doesn't matter whether Oxy is on or off limits to trailbikes. The part that interests the cops the fact that they are *unregistered* trailbikes (safe assumption given they they were being unloaded from a truck).

Even where it is theoretically legal to ride a trail bike, like some Nat Park Fire Roads, it is still illegal if it's unregistered.

You basically can't ride an unregistered trailbike anywhere other than private property.

As I mentioned earlier, the cops are VERY interested in pinging ppl for this offence, I have seen the the cops enforcing this at Lucas Heights and Stockton Beach (both places where it IS legal to ride a registered trail bike). They ping the quadbikes too. It's a pretty decent fine from memory, around a thousand bucks and something like 6 points off your licence.

beroccaboy's picture

As such, [using Internet search engines] maybe try asking either ...

The Hon. Tony Kelly, MLC
Minister for Lands
(02) 9230 2528
[email protected]

OR

John Filocamo
Department of Lands
(02) 8836 5313
[email protected]
Author of: Oxford Fails Regional Crown Reserve (R1012168) Management Strategy

for relevant Ranger or Police contact information ...

Some background information ...

CROWN LANDS REGULATION 2006
22 Activities prohibited on easements for public access
(1) For the purposes of section 57 (1) of the Act, the following activities may not be carried out on land the subject of an easement for public access:
(g) driving any motor vehicle, trail bike or other vehicle propelled by mechanical power,

46 Unauthorised activities on public land
(1) For the purposes of section 156 (1) and (3) of the Act, the following activities are prescribed:
(aj) driving a vehicle or riding a horse or other animal.

CROWN LANDS ACT 1989 NO 6
57 Rights of public to use easements for public access ...
156 Unauthorised use of structures or land ...
160 Vehicles on vacant public land ...

Little-Ditty's picture

Hey Christine, just for your curiosity, I was riding around places in Terrey Hills today, and all the NPWS huts were closed and not selling day passes to vehicles, although all the entry gates were open. They may have appeared a bit dozy, at least for today, because no one was there to enforce the laws. Tomorrow is a completely different matter, however. Eye-wink

Fankles's picture

Sounds like you called "Police Academy" by mistake Christene and you got Mahoney himself on the job .....


http://youtu.be/Cb5AvgAAQ_M

He must have been dozing off at the Academy in Goulburn when the "giving a rats arse" lecture was in session...

Seriously frustrating ah.

I think you would have to personally deliver one of them to the station stoved into the grill of the SS to gain any attention at all...

jedijunglesnow's picture

Trail bikes just aren't a hot enough topic at the moment Christine. If you want some attention forget the police, just ring NPWS with a complaint about mtbs and you'll have someone on the scene in 2 seconds flat!

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