The latest from the Westmere fun police – y’know, sometimes it’s nice to go for a small ride locally.
A dispute has erupted between residents and a mountain bike group over land at Western Springs.
The Underground Trailblazers have admitted they’re taking the law into their own hands by building trails in inner-city Auckland.
They say they’re fed up with years of nothing being done for urban mountain bikers.
But residents say the cyclists are wrecking parkland and trees and should be stopped.
One reserve neighbour who doesn’t want to be named because she fears reprisals, says they are causing damage.
“This is parkland and they build bridges and cut bike trails through the area, which is an area of ecological significance.
“You can’t do that – it’s illegal.”
The Auckland City Harbour News reported the Underground Trailblazers’ plans to make their own bike trails after becoming fed up with a lack of Auckland City Council action last December.
They made a 250-metre trail at the West View Rod end of the Western Springs, building a small bridge over a stream. It was later removed by the council.
The resident, who is giving a presentation at the Western Bays Community Board tonight, says the land has been “hijacked”.
She says the council should step in and make the group get resource consent like everybody else.
“They’re being paid to do a job and they’re not doing it
“If you speed you get a ticket and if you chop into a tree you should get a ticket
“They don’t have resource consent but everybody else has to.”
Underground Trailblazers spokesman Peter Stoneham says the group is not damaging the land.
Members are encouraged to respect native plants and trees and choose areas that are underused.
“We are taking the law into our own hands but we have been liaising with the council.
“We are taking the path of least resistance through the bush and we’ve never cut a tree down.”
Council parks officer Graham Marchant says he’s frustrated by the mountain bikers.
“They’re there under sufferance.
“We can’t fence the public off from getting in there.
“We don’t like it but what can you do about it? It’s a free country.”
Mr Marchant says he is waiting for Mr Stoneham to reply to a letter sent this month asking him to move the track because of health and safety concerns for pedestrians.
Mr Marchant says the council is investigating “various options” for a mountain bike trail, including Western Springs.
“We’re treading a careful line.
“Once they have a dedicated trail they should be a problem of the past.”
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