With the creation of the Great Koala National Park (GKNP), a commitment was made to accommodate stakeholder groups that have traditionally used state forests for their activities, including 4-wheel driving and trail bike riding.
As these activities aren’t allowed in national parks, the state government is considering gazetting some of those forests as State Parks, which would allow these activities to occur.
Historically, there has been little regulation of these activities with trail-bikers and 4-wheel drivers creating havoc with impunity.
We need to consider, should these pastimes be allowed to proceed without proper controls? Not only is the environment at risk, but also other members of the community. Why should tourists and others, out enjoying nature and hoping to spot a Koala, have to seek shelter off the trail to allow a troupe of trail bike riders to roar past, spraying gravel and dirt in all directions?
These reserves are being created to protect Koalas, and the thousands of other plants and animals, many of which are in decline and already facing extinction. Clearly, nature conservation and motor sports are completely incompatible.
Last week there was a very troubling discovery in Bagawa State Forest, southwest of Glenreagh, where a person, or persons, have cleared endangered rainforest understory, including several threatened shrubs, in the process of reopening an old forest track and creating several new side trails for the purpose of trail bike riding.
Those new trails even cross creeks, up and down banks, creating an erosion hazard, adding more mud to our already polluted waterways.
I wonder if those responsible realise that damaging a threatened ecological community, or species, can attract a $550,000 fine or 7 years imprisonment (more for a corporation).
Naturally, this incident is being investigated.
There is clearly a need to cater for these high-impact activities, but they must be properly controlled and not allowed to pose a physical risk to other forest users, negatively impact the natural environment, or pollute waterways. Remember, the majority of the forests making up the GKNP, lie within regional drinking water catchments.
- John Edwards
Published in the Voices for the Earth column in The Clarence Valley Independent 31st July, 2026 .
