In this issue:
Areas:
Pinjar Stage 2 underway
'Friends of Pinjar' to crank up
Advocacy:
RTRA Blasts Bike Ban Bid
National Greenways Declaration
Minimal Impact:
Wilbinga Cleanup Day Sept 18
Events:
Four Wheel Fun - ATV Social and Racing Club 'Pony Express' 25th September. Details...
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Dear {tag_recipientfirstname},
If you've ever wondered why the RTRA exists you need look no further than the first item of this issue. When a highly respected doctor proposes a ban on children riding trail and quad bikes it takes a well organised, respected and powerful group to mount a compelling counter-argument that can tackle the issue before it gets out of control.
The RTRA is the voice of riders; willing and able to stand up and fight such proposals. It's all about strength in numbers. Give us the numbers and you're giving us the strength!
Maybe now's a good time to see if your membership is up to date and to encourage your riding mates to join up (if they haven't already).
RTRA Blasts Bike Ban Bid
The West Australian (15 September) reported a call from the PMH Emergency Director for an age limit to be imposed on trail and quad bikes.
The RTRA was asked for comment prior to the story being published, which enabled us to provide some necessary balance, and we took immediate action to counter this issue once we saw the details. By 9am posts were
up on all the major forums, Facebook and Twitter. By 10am we had
spoken to Sue Wicks from Kidsafe and Dr Geelhoed. 24 hours later the
reader poll in the West Australian shows a staggering 93% of people
opposing the ban! (The West's online poll will be up for 7 days so you can still register your vote).
The RTRA categorically opposes such an arbitrary measure as an age based ban. Our belief is that even very young children can enjoy the activity safely if they are on appropriate sized and powered vehicles, if they are appropriately supervised and instructed and if they are wearing the appropriate riding gear.
For more, read our formal response.
Pinjar Stage 2 Underway

Work has commenced to clear 7km of trails and an 800m short track on the western side of Orchid Rd (the 'advanced' precinct). The trails will be cleared and graded but will not be limestone surfaced. Like the Family Trail, they will be sign-posted as one-way trails and cross-trails will be blocked off wherever practical.
The new trails are designed to attract faster riders and larger quad bikes away from the PeeWee and Family trails where aggressive riding is ruining the trail surface for kids and novices.
The trails will be opened to riders once the signage is installed - expected to be before the end of September.
Tracks and Trails Conference
The sixth annual National Tracks and Trails conference was held last week in Sydney. Trail bikes were again on the agenda, with a presentation by Steve Pretzel highlighting the various projects that are underway on the West Coast and the work of the RTRA.
A welcome ally was found in the Executive Director of the American Trails Association, Pam Gluck, who confirmed that trail and quad bikes are very much part of the trails community in the US. Like the last such conference the agenda was heavily skewed towards mountain bikes and there was general agreement that trail bikes are following the same trajectory as mountain bikes in our quest for recognition and acceptance as legitimate trails users.
National Greenways Declaration
An important by-product of our attendance at the conference was our ability to shape the wording of the proposed National Greenways Declaration - a statement of commitment to land for recreation and trails.
At the beginning of the conference the Declaration excluded motorised forms of recreation. We argued successfully to drop this exclusion and the Declaration now makes no such distinction. Given the potential for this document to influence future trails planning (and the associated funding) this was an important win
Wilbinga Cleanup - September 18

A reminder to riders who ride the Wilbinga area west of Wanneroo Rd - on September 18 TrackCare Australia is coordinating a 'spring cleanup day'. Riders on registered bikes are invited to come along and lend a hand in cleaning up this area in conjunction with our 4 wheeled friends. More information here...
Pinjar Volunteers
With Stage 2 of the Pinjar redevelopment now well underway, and construction of the new car park about to begin, it is now time to crank up our Friends of Pinjar group.
DEC is keen to liaise with and support this group, and we will shortly be inviting all those who expressed interest in this group to an on-site meeting with DEC to discuss how the group and DEC will work together.
If you are interested in becoming involved and haven't yet signed up you can express interest and get more information here.
RTRA Blog
If you haven't yet checked out the new RTRA blog, head over to www.RTRA.asn.au/blog. Each week we will feature a different perspective on trail bike riding in WA. If you would like to make a contribution please contact secretary@RTRA.asn.au.
Spread the Word
The more members we have, the more we can achieve. If you have riding buddies who are not yet members of the RTRA, forward them this email and give them a prod to join up.
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