TASMANIA’S Parks and Wildlife Service is investigating the actions of a crew of mainland off-roaders filming for a magazine article in the state’s West recently.

The crew, from Australian 4WD Action, spent time on the Balfour, Climies and Sandy Cape tracks.

Their behaviour, which has now come under scrutiny from Tasmanian authorities, has been criticised by local four-wheel drive groups and other off-roading magazines.

The investigation comes as four-wheel drive enthusiasts ask to be given continued access to our wild areas in the wake of a federal court case that ruled three tracks south of Sandy Cape remain closed in order to preserve Aboriginal heritage and the environment.

Unsealed 4X4 editor Dex Fulton has described the crew’s driving behaviour as “knuckle-dragging at its best”.

The PWS wants to know if the crew had the required recreational drivers’ permit before they headed bush. The service also has concerns about the general driving behaviour exhibited in a DVD released last week with the Australian 4WD Action magazine.

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“We will be reviewing the vision,” a PWS spokesman said.

While the Balfour track is open it is not open all the way to the top of the mountain.

4WD Tasmania is also penning a letter to the magazine outlining its concerns about the footage.

Mr Fulton said, the DVD vision shows the crew were hitting mud holes at high speed, spinning tyres and generally “just ripping the track to shreds”.

Mr Fulton said in his magazine column that with track closures becoming ever more of a worry, the DVD shows “people who should know better showing off exactly the type of behaviour that gets people off-side”.

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“Especially the locals, I can’t imagine they are too thrilled at having out-of-state yahoos come down there and cut up their tracks with absolutely no respect for the tread-lightly ethos,” Mr Fulton wrote.

“If you have to drive like that do it on private property on tracks designed for it, because doing it on public land is all sorts of wrong.”

“Don’t be that guy, educate that guy or we will all be here reminiscing about how great Tassie used to be for four-wheel driving.”

Australian 4WD Action did not return the Mercury’s request for comment.