Published in our local paper- and yes, it was a 4WD Club involved!!
LEADFOOT four-wheel-drive hoons are rampaging through some of the
Macarthur region's most pristine bushland then posting footage of the destruction on YouTube.
Film of the destruction shows 4WD vehicles tearing through the
Appin bush, demolishing wombat holes and fire
trails.
The fire
trails have been so badly damaged the Rural Fire Service may not be able to use them in a bushfire emergency.
Wollondilly Councillor Norman Jew is outraged at the utter disrespect the drivers have for the area's bush and its wildlife.
He is also concerned about the broadcasting of the footage on the internet.
"They apparently destroy the
trails to make them more challenging for themselves," Cr Jew said.
"They also remove the signs (declaring the area Crown land) and then say they didn't see them.
"It's a disgrace. Pristine bushland is not the place for them to be. It is just not on."
The councillor, who is calling for tougher penalities in a bid to stop the destruction, believes the site shown on YouTube is Crown land north east of the Georges River between West
Cliff Colliery and
Appin.
Wollondilly Rural Fire Service community safety officer David Bartlett said the constant 4WD abuse of the fire
trails was making the tracks unusable.
"If we can't safely use the
trails, we can't use them as part of our strategy to fight fires," he said. There have been two major bushfires in the
Appin area in the past five years.
A National Parks and Wildlife Service spokeswoman warned that police patrolled the areas periodically and severe fines applied.
"The drivers can also be taken to court," she said.
"The problem is not just the destruction of the fire
trails, but also the native vegetation, some being endangered species.
"We would encourage the drivers to use the areas to which they have access. They need to check with their local
State Forest offices as to where they can go, and they must also be licensed and registered."
Acting Inspector Dean Johnstone of Campbelltown police said anyone seeing
vehicles4WDs or trail bikes entering bushland should immediately phone the police on 4620 1199 or Wollondilly Council on 4677 1100.
"It is imperative that the fire
trails stay in a useable condition so that the emergency
services, particularly the Fire Brigades and the Rural Fire Service, have easy access to the remote areas whenever they need them," he said.
The
Macarthur Chronicle contacted a 4WD club but it declined to comment. Other clubs could not be reached.