news, local-news, Tarkine tracks, illegal, quad bikes, offroad, Bob Brown Foundation, Tarkine, conservation, environment

Illegal off-road driving in the Tarkine will continue unless there’s a change in government policy, Bob Brown Foundation campaign manager Jenny Weber says. The claim comes after artists at the foundation’s Tarkine in Motion event said they spotted two quad bikes driving over Aboriginal middens near Interview River last Saturday night. Ms Weber said the government’s “outrageous plan” to reopen the Tarkine tracks sent a signal that it was okay to illegally drive in areas closed to vehicles. “The politicians at the top are the problem,” she said. “If they're pushing to reopen these tracks, like they are, they’re giving licence to these people to think it’s okay to be driving on these tracks.” RELATED: Ms Weber said it was shameful the government was “pushing to allow damaging off-road vehicle access on this fragile landscape that is National Heritage listed”. The Tarkine tracks were closed by the former Labor government in a bid to protect Aboriginal sites in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area. Attempts by the Liberal government to reopen the tracks have been stalled by lengthy legal proceedings. A government spokesperson said the Bob Brown Foundation would “never be happy unless all of Tasmania’s natural areas are locked up and unable to be enjoyed by anyone”. “The people of Braddon have overwhelmingly endorsed our policy to reopen the tracks at the last two election, and we intend to deliver,” they said. The government encouraged anyone who spotted illegal activity in Tasmanian parks and reserves to “immediately report it to the Parks and Wildlife Service so it can be properly investigated”. It has also pledged to hire 15 new Parks and Wildlife Service rangers and field officers, which could assist efforts to police illegal behaviour. Co-secretary of 4WD Tasmania, Barnaby Campbell, was “disappointed” by the latest reports of illegal driving and said the majority of people do the right thing. “We encourage all our members to respect environment, respect heritage values of areas they go to,” he said. “Unfortunately, you always seem to get one or two ratbags who do the wrong thing and they give us all the a bad name.” Arthur-Pieman Management Committee chair Locky Avery said people with “certain agendas” like to emphasise the one or two people who do break the law. “We always hear that people have been down there but a lot of it is rumour and innuendo,” he said. “A lot of people want to present it anyway as just another reason to close it (the 4WD tracks).” Mr Avery said the “idiots” who break the law don’t reflect the broader community.

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