By: Michael Fox
Key threats to Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve:
- Weeds/Garden Waste/Dumping
- Downhill Mountain Biking, Trail Bikes & Unofficial Tracks
- Feral and Domestic Animals
Mt gravatt run – Uploaded by swaggydave on 17 Aug 2011
“We felt gutted seeing the damage they had done. The irony is, that if we, CVA volunteers and Griffith Uni student volunteers hadn’t cleared out the area, they wouldn’t have been able to get through there!”
Susan Jones was talking about finding that mountain bikers have established a brand new trail right through the middle of the area restored by Mt Gravatt SHS students in 2011
and being prepared for our July 25 National Tree Day planting. The action was quite deliberate and systematic as the sign was thrown away and sapling Brush Box, Soapy Ash and Wattles were sawn off as well as broken down.
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Mountain
Biking is illegal in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve
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Mountain biking is not allowed in the Reserve. Signs at the Summit and at Gertrude Petty Place clearly state “No Motor Bikes No Mountain Bikes”.
The bike in the video above actually leaves the road and takes a track straight past a No Bikes sign. Click on photo to enlarge. v
The mountain biking is not only illegal it is also damaging a unique environment that our community has fought to protect for over one hundred years: Mt Gravatt Historical Society, tells us that up till July 1893 the mountain and surrounds were designated as a railway timber reserve. In response to community pressure the Queensland Government of the time protected this special habitat by declaring the Reserve.
Mountain bike riders are actively destroying mountain habitat
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I inspected the latest damage this week with Susan Jones. What really stunned us was the systematic habitat destruction with saplings sawed or broken off and used to make jumps for riders. Cut and broken trees included a four metre Early Black Wattle Acacia leiocalyx just about to flower. Early Black Wattle is the caterpillar food plant for Imperial Hairstreak Jalmenus evagoras, a beautiful butterfly which is returning to the mountain with the restoration of our bushcare sites. Other trees destroyed included Soapy Ash Alphitonia excelsa, caterpillar food plant for Small Green-banded Blue butterflies Psychonotis caelius, Brush Box Lophostemon confertus, caterpillar food plant for the
fascinating Four-Spotted Cup Moth Doratifera quadriguttata.
Many Lomandras have been destroyed by the action of bikes, including a flowering (male) Many Flowered Mat-rush Lomandra multiflora, caterpillar food plant for Brown Ochre Trapezites iacchus and Black-ringed Ochre Trapezites petalia butterflies: two of forty-five butterfly species found in the Reserve.
It is hard to show the enormity of the damage. None of the trees were very large but the collage of cut stumps gives some idea of the number of trees destroyed to create track for entrainment of a small number of people.
And by the looks of it this is only the start. Following the track down from the Summit we found yellow markers tied to trees, not only along the track but also what appears to be planned as a new track taking off to the south. Trees had been cut or broken and yellow tape tied to others. It seems that this new track planning was only stopped when the tape ran out … evidenced by the empty spool discarded in the bush.
Further evidence of expansion plans is the cache of tools we found locked to a tree just near the path.
Our community investment
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Seeing the wanton destruction of our special habitat made me very angry, not just because of the personal impact on me, but also because this action ignores the huge ongoing contribution our community is making.
Conservatively calculated, Mt Gravatt Environment Group is responsible for over $30,000 in volunteer contribution during the 2011/12 financial year.
Over the same period our community has invested $19,905 in grants from Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and Southside Sport & Community Club.
Donations and direct investments by community members exceeded $8,000.
Ongoing support and investment by BCC Habitat Brisbane program: plants for revegetation, equipment, training and public liability insurance.
Community partners include Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed – nest-boxes, MacGregor Lions Club – native garden restoration Roly Chapman Reserve, Mt Gravatt Girl Guides – planting Pollinator Link garden, Griffith University – student volunteer program, QUT and Australian Catholic University student volunteers.
Community Recognition
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Our contribution has been acknowledged with a number of community awards.
Sheamus O’Connor
- Young Citizen of the Year 2012
- 2012 YoungStar Community winner
Michael Fox
- 2012 Lord Mayor’s Green Heart Award
- 2011 B4C Environmentalist of the Year
- Shortlisted for selection for Pride of Australia 2012 – Environmental Medal
Mt Gravatt Environment Group
- 2011 Brisbane’s Spotless Suburbs – Environmental Protections Award
- B4C Bushcare Group of 2011
Fox Gully Bushcare
- 2011 Brisbane’s Spotless Suburbs – Partnerships Award
How can you help?
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Please express your concerns to Cr Krista Adams as Brisbane City Council is trustee of Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve:
Email: wishart.ward@ecn.net.au
Phone BCC Call Centre: 07 3403 8888
July 16, 2012 at 10:10 pm
So sorry to see the damage done by a few selfish people, and I hope BCC will support you and take steps to stop this mindless vandalism. As a bushcarer, I understand the heartbreak of seeing work done by volunteers deliberately destroyed and the setback of emerging habitat and biodiversity value.
July 17, 2012 at 3:18 am
Thank you Leonie, your support is valued.
We believe community education is the key to changing how individuals relate to this area. Susan Jones was telling me this morning that she was at the bottom of the Summit Walk yesterday and there were an amazing number of people heading up that walk or heading off on the Federation Outlook walk. So our community members do value the walking in the bush experience.
Michael
November 8, 2012 at 4:30 am
Hi 🙂
I have to agree that the destruction of saplings to build bridges etc is wrong. I believe this is a result from un-informed and often younger cyclists. I believe if you were both on the same page both parties could live harmoniously together. The reality is you aren’t going to stop the cyclists and they won’t stop cutting down saplings. As far as erosion from cycling is concerned, the erosion is purely from water erosion, in most cases the bike tracks follow the natural water paths as the tracks are already partially cleared by the water flow and the lie of the land. I do agree though that killing saplings will contribute towards erosion however not on a small scale such as is evident here.
If you both worked together even combining funding applications you could achieve a better outcome. Imagine this, designated cycle tracks with funded infrastructure for bridges and drop off obstacles.
I think you will find mountain bikers also enjoy nature hence why they are riding mountain bikes and not road bikes 🙂
Hopefully everyone can get on board. I for one would love to take my son bike riding through the natural habitat that you are doing a great job of maintaining.
Cheers
November 8, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Thank you for your comment David.
Michael Fox
November 9, 2012 at 8:46 am
I Support this issue and commend your stand on this blatant lack of respect for our beautiful landscape.I should also like to disagree with david millings comment’s about water erosion causing all the damage.If the bikes were not on this track the vegation would grow over the erosion to turn the bush back how it should be.
I am an avid nature lover and are constantly complaining to my local council about the barage of noisy screaming bike riders on this track.
Keep up the good work in protecting our environment and precious flora and fauna.
Matthew
November 9, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Thank you Matthew. Your support is appreciated.
Michael Fox