Published on Thursday, 26 September 2019 at 9:17:00 AM
The City of Albany has condemned the reckless and blatant sabotage of dual-use trails in Albany Heritage Park after the discovery of a number of large rocks deliberately placed to impede mountain bike riders and potentially cause harm or injury.
A rider photographed the rocks on a trail on Tuesday morning and it follows several other similar attempts to create hazards on the trails.
The City has been promoting the trails as a community asset to be shared and used respectfully by everyone, but not everyone is heeding the message and the City will be doing all it can to try and catch the culprits.
Mayor Dennis Wellington said it was time the nonsense behaviour stopped.
“Not everyone is happy about the trails being used by mountain bikers, but taking actions into your own hands is not on,” he said
“We get that people are passionate about the mounts, and may not agree with mountain bikers using the trails or the City wanting to build more trails, but that is no excuse whatsoever for what is happening.
“Putting rocks or branches on trails, or creating other obstacles is idiotic and dangerous and a criminal act. Ultimately it could kill someone.'
The City increased ranger patrols on the mounts after other recent incidents and will now go a step further and erect cameras along trails in an attempt to identify the people responsible for the incidents.
“We also need the community to keep watch and if you see anything suspicious or witness someone trying to block or put a hazard on a trail, please report it immediately to the City and the police,” Mayor Wellington said.
The City has a Trails Hub Strategy to construct a network of purpose-built, environmentally-friendly trails that would help separate mountain bike riders and walkers, and is waiting on environmental approvals to proceed with the plan.
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