Over the years around 12 kilometres of illegal mountain bike trails were
constructed on O'Connor Ridge. The ACT Government spin was that these
illegal trails were 'informal trails'.
These illegal mountain bike trails represented yet another in a series
of environmental degradation events on the Ridge. They came on top of an
extensive system of fire trails, a power pylon grid which bisects the
reserve, urban water infrastructure, bisection by the GDE, a commuter
bicycle track, extensive clearing of undergrowth adjacent to urban
inliers, and extensive fire control burning which periodically removes
the ground habitat by destroying the litter and the fallen timber. The
last time I visited the reserve some sort of cross country running event
was happening in the Reserve. The wildlife was, literally, fleeing from
one place in the reserve to another where it was again being disturbed
by yet another group of runners.
As a nature reserve, O'Connor Ridge is a degraded mess.
The illegal mountain bike trails equate to a significant amount of
disturbance in a small nature reserve. The number of plants killed in
constructing 12 kilometres of trails must have been enormous. There is
no evidence that those constructing the illegal tracks had any idea
which plants they were destroying. The trails themselves killed the
plants on and around them. In addition, the construction involved the
moving of rocks and logs, thus disturbing the creatures that rely on
them for cover. Berms, jumps and brake-out areas were created. The
tracks sometimes headed directly down hill down steep slopes. Erosion
was a common by-product. The tracks are very winding so there was
literally no place on O'Connor Ridge which was safe from constant
disturbance by mountain bikers. To my knowledge, no--one has ever been
prosecuted. Oh, and presumably to cock a snook at the ACT Government,
those who built these illegal trails erected signage. Meanwhile, the
legal park management signs banning bicycles from trails were scratched
out, removed or destroyed.
The ACT Government, having failed in its duty of care to protect the
biodiverstiy values of the reserve in the first place, initiated a
process of community consultation, the result of which was that some of
the illegal trails are to be legitimised.
'Problem' solved?
Part of the rationale was that this process would 'discourage' further
construction of illegal trails. But why would it 'discourage' anything
when previous illegal activity has been rewarded? In fact, the
'discouragement' has already failed completely. A new network of illegal
trails, already over a kilometre of them, has been constructed and is
being used illegally by off-road mountain bikers, on Black Mountain
Nature Reserve which is adjacent to O'Connor Ridge. Numerous fresh
bicycle tyre tracks bear witness to another wave of illegal and
destructive activity. Groups of over 20 mountain bike cyclists have been
observed cycling off the fire trails in Black Mountain Nature Reserve.
Discussions with some of the mountain bikers indicate that they have
simply have no regard for the law, no concern at all about being
prosecuted, no understanding of the biodiversity destruction they are
doing, and that they believe that the Reserve is there for them to use
as they see fit.
Are we to expect another round of 'community consultation' some time in
the future to deliver another post hoc rationalisation for the failure
of the ACT Government in its current duty of care in Black Moutain
Nature Reserve?
Make no mistake, O'Connor Ridge is the start of a process that will end
up targetting each of the reserves in turn. The O'Connor Ridge
destruction was deliberate and it is proceeding with the active
connivance of the ACT Government. Clearly, Black Moutain Nature Reserve
is next.
I urge anyone who has any contacts with ACT politicians to draw this
disgusting state of affairs to their attention.
regards
Con
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