NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has joined with NSW Police in tackling illegal trail bike riding in Northern River’s national parks.
Area Manager at NPWS, Jenny Atkins said that while the vast majority of visitors to national parks in the Northern Rivers area obeyed the law, there were some people engaging in illegal activities.
“Riding unregistered motorbikes, or driving in areas closed to vehicles without authorisation, can attract heavy penalties,” Ms Atkins said.
“These activities are not only dangerous, but they also disturb park neighbours and put other visitors, local wildlife and park assets at risk,” she said.
“This joint operation gave NPWS the chance to work closely with local police and address these issues.”
She said that over the course of the two-day operation, police issued one infringement notice and several cautions for offences including riding where vehicle access was restricted and riding unregistered trail bikes.
“As we head into summer, we’d like to remind visitors to our region’s parks to ensure they abide by NSW law and NPWS regulations,” Ms Atkins said.
“There are a number of public trails available across the Northern Rivers region for four-wheel drivers and licenced trail bike riders to legitimately enjoy.”
She said national parks were home to many rare and threatened species, including the Bush Stone-curlew and the Red-legged Pademelon.
“We want to continue to protect these special plants and animals, as well as ensure our visitors feel safe while they are enjoying our beautiful parks,” Ms Atkins said.
