eNewsletter 1605


May 2016
In this issue: Areas: Manjimup Gnangara Metro Road Pinjar Lancelin Advocacy: Local Government Events Pinjar Maintenance June 4 Login for more information To access the Members Only area of the RTRA Web site you will need to log on as follows: User Name: {tag_recipientusername} Password: Forgotten your password? Helping to save your riding areas	Dear Member The early season rains have been a gift to trail riders. No dust in April and great grippy trails to enjoy. El Nino? Global warming? Climatic correction to the average? Who cares! Let's just get out there and enjoy it! Here's a quick update on what else has been happening... Gnangara Update Plans The Department of Parks and Wildlife is considering upgrading the Gnangara Off Road Vehicle Area. Encouraged by the success of the Pinjar Motorcycle Area, the Department is considering the development of new trails and parking areas for riders at Gnangara. The last trail development there (actually the only one since 1978!) was the creation of the 8km ‘Lexia Loop’ nearly five years ago. While bringing Gnangara up to scratch will be a major challenge, if successful it will surely encourage other local councils to consider creating or upgrading their own Off Road Vehicle Areas - especially south of the river where they are most needed. Prescribed Burns at Pinjar Prescribed burning will be undertaken in the Pinjar Motorcycle Area in coming months to clear logging debris and to reduce the risk of future bushfires. Parks and Wildlife advises that the area will be closed for a period during May or June 2016 while burning takes place. The exact timing of the burn is dependent on specific winds which may mean the area is closed at short notice. Further advice will be provided when the actual closure days are confirmed. Another two Riders Lost at Metro Road There was another major overnight search at Metro Road recently after two riders became lost and ran out fuel. York Police and the Police air wing were involved, and fortunately family members located the men safe and well at 6.30am the following day. It’s another reminder that there are hundreds of kilometres of unmarked trails in the area and only very patchy mobile coverage, so a GPS is a good idea ( you can use it to back-track if you get lost) and never ride alone (we recommend three as the safe minimum). With the Metro Road Master Planning project underway we expect that fewer riders will get lost there in the future. Pinjar Maintenance Mornings Calendar A calendar of Pinjar Maintenance Mornings for the remainder of 2016 has been prepared to help riders and families plan in advance. The dates are: June 4, August 6, October 1, December 3. Make a note in your diary. The more riders who attend these mornings the better we can make this area. MyCouncil Web Site The WA Government has created a new website that shows how much each local council spends on things like recreation facilities. Using mycouncil.wa.gov.au we can easily see, for example, that the City of Kwinana spent $15.5 million on recreation and culture in the 2015 financial year. Anyone like to guess how much of that was spent on the Kwinana Off Road Vehicle Area? We’ll ask them and report back next month. Mudslinging in the Sand Dunes at Lancelin There’s a war of words going on at Lancelin, with concerns being raised about secret moves to close down the popular but dangerous Off Road Vehicle Area. The RTRA understands that Gingin Shire is still preparing a management plan for the area, and moving motorised recreation behind the first set of dunes is still a live option. We’ll be following up on this to ensure that riders are not unfairly dealt with and that any future plans focus on making the area safer while protecting riders’ rights to continue enjoying the dunes. Manjimup Trails Hub Feasibility gets Underway The feasibility study to explore Manjimup becoming Australia’s first ever trail bike trails hub will kick off next month. Manjimup Shire will establish a Steering Committee to work with the appointed consultants on the study, and the RTRA will be providing expert input. Minimal Impact: Caring for Erosion Mounds They may look like they exist just to make hills more interesting for riders, but those ripper little jumps found on steeper hills are there to prevent water running down the hill and creating ruts. As riders, we can look after these mounds by not following a single line through them and by not being aggressive on the throttle as we hit them. Help keep hills in good condition and you'll help keep hills for us all to enjoy. Help Spread the Word New to the RTRA? Here are the four key objectives the RTRA pursues: To protect and extend quality, safer off-road riding opportunities for Western Australian recreational trail bike riders of all ages. To promote and encourage safety and responsible riding attitudes, including minimising noise and trail damage. To actively pursue the needs of trail bike riders with State and Local Government, landowners and other stakeholders. To improve the perception of trail bike riding as a recreational activity. If you think the RTRA is having a positive impact for riders, just think how much more effective we'd be if we had double the members. It's actually not that hard - all it takes is for each member to find one other rider to sign up. If you have riding buddies who are not yet members of the RTRA, please forward them this email and give them a prod to join up.
Recreational Trailbike Riders' Association of WA Inc