Hi all, 

Just an update - I spoke to Simon Woodland who is the head of the Sustainable Environment Team at Bass Coast Shire the other day - he's the one thats looking after this issue.

Very long story short, but I pointed out that this track had been there for over 40 years, it was build around the natural environment, it was not damaging it or removing any vegetation, the kids just used what was already there. It caused no damage to the environment, and is the same as people walking or riding their bikes around the tracks at Cape Woolamai or any other bush tracks in the shire. In terms of revegetation, this must be the lowest on their priority list as there are many other sites that are in higher need, eg the pine trees overwhelming the native vegetation in the foreshore toward the bridge. 

He said the land was Crown land, owned by the State but Council were charged with the management of it. He said they had received a number of complaints from  "irate" locals about it over the years and could not have any unauthorised tracks on the land they managed.

I said "Great - how do we make this an authorised track! We can turn this into a good news story that the Council will be applauded for!" While there may be some "irate" complainers, there are hundreds of families and kids who are devastated that this facility has been demolished.

Simon said this would cause more people thinking they could go and build bike tracks in the foreshore wherever they wanted. I suggested the Council build a fence around the outside of the track area and put a sign up to say this is a Bass Coast Shire dedicated track, and no vegetation is to be removed or tampered with from here or anywhere else in the foreshore. That would allow this to be looked after for our local kids and give them a dedicated space.

He said to do this would need agreement from State government as it is their land. I suggested we go and talk to the state government about it then. 

Simon agreed to "have some conversations with some people and get back to me next week". 

Hopefully all this publicity and pressure is helping  the Council realise that this is a valuable asset to the community, and far more beneficial for them to keep it than outlaw it! I'll keep you ported on any more developments. 

Thanks so much to everyone who has signed and shared this petition - we only have 14 more signatures to get to 500, so if you know anyone who hasn't signed please send this to them!

I think I'll leave the petition up until the Sentinel Times comes out next week as we have a story in there and will hopefully gain a few more signatures, then I'll send it in to Council. 

Thanks to anyone that turned up for the photo shoot with SGST this morning - sorry I couldn't be there, keep up the great work!

If anyone has any other suggestions, please get in touch!