As a direct result of a post here late last year I heard about track closures in NE
Vic and this resulted in attendance at a meeting held in the bush near Mt Disappointment SF this Saturday morning between 3 DSE officials and a dozen or so interested parties.
Much discussion, some of it with real feeling, took place about various access issues and I won't go into that.
The real intention seemed to be to review the closures with a view to testing whether ways around some of the issues could be found that left both the DSE with less management issues and some of the tracks left open.
Some interesting statements were made - for example , driving thru a river does not always cause water quality issues and under some conditions can improve the river.
Much discussion took place around pictures of a bog holed track and whether or not it could be saved.
We then drove up to this track only to find that it had all been bulldozed and "Rehabilitated".
This was a bit embarrassing, and showed that this initiative is new to DSE as
well as the public and many communications issues will need to be overcome if any real departmental culture change is to take place.
After several tiring hours of standing discussions we got round to specific tracks.
The DSE seemed keen to go beyond talk and get some real actions points.
Some people had left by now, and I was able to specifically nominate two tracks "Snobs 5 & 6" of concern to me and an undertaking of a re-view, possibly on-site, was given.
Other tracks in which their were habitat concerns etc would not be open for re-view.
What encouraged me was that the DSE put forward the suggestion the some duplicated track sections could have the duplication removed and the main track actually modified to make it a more challenging 4wd track.
I.E. Potentially a win / win situation.
It took me a little while to grasp what was being said here but I liked it.
Its a long way from a discussion in the bush to action but this is the first real sign of direct contact to the public (as opposed to bodies like 4wd vic) that I have seen and I appreciate the time and efforts of the DSE personal.