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Hello Geoffrey and others
Rangers were not trained to book people doing
illegal activities in reserves in the 70s and 80s and with the reduced staff and
occupational health and safety concerns these days it is even less likely they
would be these days. The offender(s) usually know they are doing
something illegal and won't stick around to talk a ranger and rangers
are not allowed to chase them. (follow them at a safe distance to get a
better description/rego yes but not chase. Trail bike riders riding in reserves
are usually youmg teenagers often on unregistered bikes, out for a quick spin
after school or work in the evening when the rangers have knocked off for the
day. If there is a regular offence in a particular place a ranger may wait
and get a photo of the offender and pass it on to the Police who may be able to
identify the offender and go and have a talk to him when they don't have more
urgent and serious matters to attend to.
The most usefull thing we can do is to report
offences with as much information as possible e g rego, colour and type of bike,
colour of pants, jacket helmet to a ranger asap. If it's after hours
then to the Police. Repeated reports from the same area without a
description of the offender may get a response from the Police or
rangers.
Car burnings are usually of stolen cars in the
early hours of the morning in remote areas and should be reported asap to the
Police if the vehicle is still burning and the fire brigade is not there.
Peter Ormay
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