https://m.facebook.com/CampbelltownWildlifeAndBushlandsProtection/We must not destroy our pristine bushlands in the Macarthur region to build a mountain bike track from Glenfield to Wedderburn.
Our bushlands and wildlife are under enough stress with all the development going on around the area already.
Cr Meg Oates, please think long and hard about your idea.
Irrespective of your good intentions, more entrances to our bushland will result in more illegal dumping sites and general littering in the bushland and our river, it will encourage more illegal dirt bikes, it will open the bush up to more fire bugs.
New trails may degrade and fragment wildlife habitat, and can cause compaction and erosion. They can alter the activities of nearby animals, causing avoidance behaviour in some and food-related attraction behavior in others (Hellmund, 1998; Knight & Cole, 1991). While most forms of trail impact are limited to a narrow trail corridor, disturbance of wildlife can extend considerably further into natural landscapes (Kasworm & Monley, 1990; Tyser & Worley, 1992). Even very localised disturbance can harm rare or endangered species.
We already have many fire trails and walking tracks that lead to swimming spots along the Georges River, and it is a travesty that some locals don’t take the time to enjoy it. But improving the condition of current tracks will improve access to visitors without damaging the environment.
A mountain bike track would unfortunately be more damaging than beneficial to this huge stretch of bushland."