Many thanks for this Con. I would like to add that Con put in a submission
of behalf of COG which appears to have been completely ignored. I also note
that Con has written to the Greens. We await their reply.
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: con
Sent: Friday, 14 October 2011 5:01 PM
To: COG list
Subject: illegal off road mountain bike trails in the
Canberra Nature Park
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
****************************************************************************
***************************
|
