The move is already under attack from councillors warning an official site would not prevent people from riding illegally in parks and bushland. Other councilors sounded alarm over noise impacts, saying they doubted a suitable site could be found away from residents. Redland City Council officers said 181 complaints had been lodged about illegal riding activity in public parks and reserves over the past 12 months.

The first step in controlling illegal riding activity would be to provide suitable facilities, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to participate in the sport legally. This would also reduce the risk of serious injury by vigilantes taking matters into their on hands and lacing popular riding trails with spikes and barbed wire.

“It’s actually time for some action,” senior planning adviser Angela Wright said last week. Division 4 Councillor Peter Dowling backed the investigation, saying illegal riding created “significant” safety issues. A report said the council would firstly investigate industrial areas, chicken farms, quarries, enterprise development areas, some council-owned bushland, and Redland Water and Waste land set aside for future waste transfer stations.

Division 7 Councilor Murray Elliott said the Redlands was a residential area and he could not think of a place that was far enough away from people’s homes.

Well Murray, did you hear me riding on the weekend?

Redland City Council is investigating the possibility of providing a site for the development of a new motorcycle facility. Initially catering for Motocross riding. A lot of tracks and venues have been closed or are threatened with closure. Regardless of your own location, a motocross facility in Redlands will enhance the sport and provide a safe alternative for riders of all ages.

If you support the facility forward an email or fax a message to the Redland City Council on the details listed below expressing your own views on the need for a motorcycle facility in Redlands. The council needs to know how many people would support such a facility.

Negotiations to date have been positive and would be greatly enhanced by positive feedback to the Redland City Council. We want to project a responsible community that will use such a facility to provide a safe environment for dirt bike enthusiasts.

Some time ago, laws came into place which allow police officers to confiscate noisy trail bikes. Just what constitutes a noisy trail bike is at the discretion of the officer involved. The laws apply to people riding on both public and private land. With the boom in dirt bike sales in Australia and according to Motorcycling Australia, over 200 trail bike riders registered in the southern end of the shire alone, problems will only get worse if adequate facilities are not created.

If your interested in supporting the movement please sign up as a user to this blog to receive contact information.