Riders may be unaware of the damage they cause by riding By Kath Gannaway
A NUMBER of tracks in Pauls Range which have been closed over winter will now not open until the end of the year.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment will spend the next two months rehabilitating bush areas destroyed by trail bike riders.
The DSE’s local stewardship and biodiversity manager Wally Notman said that trail bike riders had caused severe localised damage to soil and native plants when they went off established tracks.
Rehabilitation of the illegal tracks which are in the southern section of the range will see the PFF, Loop, Ridge and Link tracks as well as parts of Pauls Range Track closed until the end of December.
Mr Notman said the temporary closure of nine kilometres of forest roads was necessary to close and rehabilitate more than 20 kilometres of illegal tracks covering about 700 hectares of forest.
“Many riders are unaware of the damage they cause by riding off-road,” Mr Notman said.
“However, the rising popularity of trail bike riding has resulted in increasing environmental impacts on vegetation and water quality in Pauls Range and this needs to be addressed.”
“The southern section of Pauls Range is a relatively small area with very few legal forest roads for trail bike riders to use. Most of the tracks they are riding on in that area are illegal.”
“These forest track closures will be clearly signposted. While the track closures are in place, trail riders are advised to avoid the southern section of Pauls Range,” he said.
Mr Notman said DSE’s Trail Bike Project team was also working closely with Victoria Police to reduce the excessive noise in the area caused by some trail bikes without proper exhaust systems.
Maps setting out these forest road closures will be available from DSE’s Powelltown and Toolangi offices or contact DSE’s Customer Service Centre on 13 61 86 to request a copy.
