Linda Weynton, a member of the bushcare group for Crescent Reserve Newport, has forwarded concerns about the deliberate destruction of this restored area, work this bushcare group have undertaken and continued over 24 years.
In the space of the last couple of weeks trail bike builders have removed barriers erected by council staff last year, after a similar incident damaged and felled shrubs and trees in order to create several bike trails, erected a den and tree house, excavated soil at creek level to create jumping mounds, installed a garden bench, foldable chairs, and left the tools used to destroy this reserve, namely wheelbarrows, a bush saw, brooms, shovels, chainsaw and general rubbish.
one example of what has occurred in Crescent Reserve: image supplied
On finding the teenagers in the bush doing the same on August 29th at 1.15pm the bush care volunteers called the council rangers. While waiting the teenagers informed the volunteers that ‘they were doing nothing wrong’ and ‘council didn’t mind’. One lad even claimed his dad ‘owned the council’.
Their comments escalated and became threatening, causing the volunteers to call the police.
They stayed until about 4.00pm without a ranger or a police person showing up.
The volunteers stated they have been informed by a local councillor and bushcare friends the damage described is happening from one end of the LGA to the other and council have no appetite to do anything about it mainly because the mental health of the youngsters in lockdown has to be considered.
The volunteers object to this premise, wondering why the mental wellbeing of those who have invested decades of their efforts into restoring these areas and now see them being destroyed without any checks, is not also taken into account.
In light of the perceived laissez-faire attitude of management that exists at the moment the volunteers think ratepayers would be interested to know the overall cost to them over decades of bushcare programmes and reparation works, not to mention the volunteer hours worked that are not costed.
Council have responded by sending more rangers to patrol the reserve during recent weeks; efforts which are appreciated by the volunteers and local community, but would be more effective should they attend when first called. Responding to calls for help hours, days and even weeks later are ineffective and will not counter this growing problem.
Due to the ongoing issues and damage being caused within the reserve the council has determined that the installation of permanent fencing to protect the remnant bushland from repeated impacts is warranted. Quotations are currently being sought for suitable fencing options to help protect this important bushland asset.
Another aspect is pointedly announced by one of these teenagers themselves, in ‘council didn’t mind’ and shows the messaging coming out of council, as instanced in the destroyed perimeter of Plateau Park and its adjacent EEC listed bush reserve, and in the running over of a wallaby by a mountain biker on another illegal bike track at the Ingleside end of Gairgal NP in 2020. Damage to Warriewood wetlands, a Wildlife Protection Area, that mum Nina Reynolds spoke up about also made her the target of threats from MTB 'trail builders' and the smashing of a window at her home by them, scaring her young children to the point where they could not sleep.
The Whitney Park Mona Vale illegal bike ramps not being removed and a boy ending up with a serious head injury in 2020 show what can happen – as do the rising frequency of people being hurt on illegal bike tracks in inaccessible bush areas who are not only badly hurt but require being rescued and, in some instances, being helicoptered out due to the terrain and extent of physical injury.
The deliberate unchecked destruction in Crescent Reserve echoes many similar reports Pittwater Online News has received during the past few months. This presents an opportunity for engaging with those who will inherit the custodianship of these bush reserves and the privilege of encountering the wildlife that lives in them for their own children.
A report received last year from a Narrabeen school on their in-school bushcare group of students and how much the youngsters enjoyed learning about the area they live in and restoring an area, contributing something that will grow to it, underlines this.
Complementing this is the obvious need to identify an area in Pittwater the kids can exercise their passion for this sport in – parallel to that is the idea this could also identify that area through all the tracks of weeds that need to be pulled and areas alongside them restored. As with every other ‘project’ or sport that exists in Pittwater, the veritable army of volunteer parents, grandparents and carers could form part of the groups that pull those weeds, build this track and restore the areas alongside it.
Catalpa Reserve - post concrete path Installation:
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the concrete stairs that will provide 'easier access' for people in wheelchairs or those pushing prams
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the erosion on either side of this installed concrete path
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