MEDIA RELEASE
Victorian Trail Riders Fight to Keep the Bush OpenTrail Riders from across Victoria are banding together to fight proposed government bush road and track closures in favourite riding areas to all forest users.
New plans released by the Department of Sustainability and Environment to permanently close popular riding areas in the Otway Forest Parks and Enfield State Forest have angered riders.
Victorian Trail Riders Network Coordinator, Bruce Dupe said riders were disappointed that the government was not willing to work toward partnerships and cooperative arrangements with responsible riders, rider organisations and other forest user groups
“Just when we were seeing results DSE changed the plans we had been jointly working on and announce they intend to close down whole areas!”
“We had worked really hard to come up with sustainable solutions to keep the bush open but after everything we have done we wonder why we bothered.” he said.
“It’s not just motorcycle riders this will effect, it’s four wheel drives, horse riders and even bicycle riders!”
The Victorian government has commenced a six week consultation process but trail riders have little faith in the process after a spate of track closures in the area in recent years and a fear of more to come.
“DSE and Parks Victoria have strung up dangerous steel cable and concrete barriers along roads and tracks to keep people out of the bush and now they are going to do more and more.” says Bruce Dupe.
“The riding loops the bureaucrats have suggested are almost all gravel roads with considerable use by local residents and tourists.”
“It gets scary when you come around a corner with heavy steel cables on each side and see a Landcruiser heading for you on your side of the road! That’s not the riding experience I’m looking for, it’s just plain dangerous!”
The Victorian Trail Riders Network is calling on all riders across Victoria and another concerned forest users to join the network and help stop the current proposed track closures from going ahead. VTRN is working with other user groups to challenge the track closures on legal grounds and is lobbying government ministers and MP’s in an effort to halt the process before it is too late.
For further information please contact, Bruce Dupe, Victorian Trail Riders Network on (03) 5288 7227 or visit the webpage
www.vtrn.mototrials.com.au
