Ku-ring-gai National Park Horseriding Disgrace: Horses in Mud Bath or Is it Pigs?
The National Parks Association today called on the Minister for the Environment, Mr Bob Debus, to ban horseriding in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park because of the appalling environmental damage caused by irresponsible horseriders on the Park's walking tracks and fire trails.
"The Park, one of the most popular and well used in the State, is being vandalised by a selfish and privileged group of horseriders who have shown that they are completely irresponsible," said Noel Plumb Executive Officer of the NPA. "Some trails in the Park are now a series of mudbaths caused by the churning up of the wet track by these selfish people. These horseriders should hang their heads in shame. "
"We challenge anyone to visit the area and not be appalled at the damage. We have invited the Minister to inspect the area with NPA as a matter of urgency."
"Park walkers, bush fire services and park managers cannot use these tracks without further damage. There is mud and slush knee deep in places and some of the 25 plus bogs stretch for more than 20 metres. The damage will cost many, many thousands of dollars of taxpayers money to fix. Runoff is travelling to Cowan Creek whose Catchment Management Committee has previously expressed concern at the damage to water quality from horseriding."
"Other park users are now faced with a series of foul smelling bogs littered with horse dung . There is no way around them except to create yet more side tracks to the main trail. The horseriders immediately use these sidetracks and are cutting them up too.".
"On inspection, no reasonable person could doubt that this damage has been caused by horseriders. There is no excuse. They have persisted in using these tracks despite the long period of wet weather and the result on this sensitive shale/sandstone country is devastating. The weight of the steel shod horses on the wet tracks simply cuts them to pieces and builds on the damage already caused by the horses in the dry."
"The horseriders and their vociferous lobby group should hang their heads in shame. It is not the Park's manager who should be fired, as demanded by the horseriders and their lobby groups, for trying to control this damage through a new Plan of Management for the Park. It is the horseriders who should be sacked from the Park.."
For further information Noel Plumb 0412 975 575 or 9233 4660
For inspection arrangements Alec Tucker 0418 213 846
NPA has extensive photographs of the damage and is prepared to take any interested journalist/camera crew to the area. This would involve a walk of a few kilometres and take about 1.5 hours to see the full area but an effective look at some of the damage could be managed in 30/40 minutes.
23 July 1999