what can we do about roads getting locked down?

[gordonmichaellee]

Stockton beach has just been closed and has made national news but it lead me to thinking how many other roads are being closed off to the public? One of my favorite roads has been closed for about 5 years under the guise that repairs are underway ( for 5 years ).

I feel like going to National Parks and Wildlife and asking for them to give me the bloody shovel coz I recon I could have fixed the road on my own in that time!!

Has anyone had any dealings with officials regarding the ever increasing number of road that seem to start as temporary closures and then lead to permanent closure.

I like to stay on the right side of the law when it comes to not accessing closed roads but I really feel that enough is enough.

Cheers Gordo'

[outback jack]

Councils are broke either by bad management or lack of handouts by our Gun Treasurer. The Flood money has been largly squanderd, so don't expect anything to improve soon. After this next big downpour we can all whistle dixie, it will be the only tune your going to hear.

[Ockrocket]

Never mind back road closures.

To show how small minded council bureaucrats are, the Bells Line Of Road has been sign posted at 60 kph from Bilpin almost all the way to Bell due to "roadworks" and "traffic hazard ahead".

No sign of either roadworks or hazards, just some aresehole in an office "doing his bit" to keep the long weekend road toll down in the local area.

In reality it had a lot of drivers and riders pissed off and subsequently doing risky overtaking on double white lines.

Altogether far to many "rule makers" trying to keep us safe from ourselves.

[itsgunnahurt]

Originally Posted by Ockrocket

Never mind back road closures.

To show how small minded council bureaucrats are, the Bells Line Of Road has been sign posted at 60 kph from Bilpin almost all the way to Bell due to "roadworks" and "traffic hazard ahead".

No sign of either roadworks or hazards, just some aresehole in an office "doing his bit" to keep the weekend road toll down save costs and raise revenue in the local area.

Fixed!

[DRjoe]

bolt cutters

[Coopsdad]

Stockton beach has been closed???? WTF??? All of it or just some of it???

[gordonmichaellee]

All of it I believe!!

Cheers Gordo'

[TruckerDJ]

Originally Posted by Coopsdad

Stockton beach has been closed???? WTF??? All of it or just some of it???

+ 1

[gordonmichaellee]

Closed areas

Camping at Stockton Beach remains closed until further notice - Stockton Bight
People intending to camp at Stockton Beach in the Worimi Conservation Lands this Xmas & New Year, will need to make alternative arrangements, as camping remains closed while the area continues to recover, following severe winter storms.
The beach is still open for people to visit, and there are a large variety of commercial tours available daily. Log on to www.worimiconservationlands.com
Camping closures were put in place following storms in June this year, the largest to hit the beach since 1974. The 2.3m storm surge resulted in major flooding over and behind the frontal dune that damaged and exposed Aboriginal sites, killed beach vegetation and damaged large areas of dunes where visitors normally camped.
Whilst there has been some natural replenishment of sand back onto the frontal dunes, they are not stable enough to take the pressure of campers returning – or to guarantee that a storm does not again wash them away.
Despite considerable effort it has not been possible to find and develop alternative camping areas that ensure the dunes, beach & cultural sites are looked after, and that campers are safe from inundation during high tides and large swells.
The Worimi Conservation Lands Board of Management, and the NPWS remain committed to seeing a return to camping on the lands, but needs to ensure that camping areas do not damage Aboriginal sites, are safe and sustainable. The provision of camping opportunities on the park is addressed in the Draft Plan of Management for the WCL, which is scheduled for public viewing & comment in early 2013.
Rangers will patrol the park during the holidays including early morning and late evening, and will be targeting illegal camping and access. On-the-spot fines and/or prosecution apply.
For more information call NPWS at Nelson Bay on (02) 4984 8200. For information on alternative accommodation options call the Port Stephens Visitor Information Centre on 1800 808 900 or visit www.portstephens.org

No driving on the dunes, except for the Recreational Vehicle area.
Drive only on the waterfront, or in the Recreational Vehicle Area (RVA).

• The RVA, which is located South of the Lavis Lane access, is open for dune driving.
• All dunes between the Lavis Lane and Anna Bay accesses are CLOSED to driving.
• The park is currently CLOSED for all camping.
• Access via Lavis Lane or Anna Bay entrances only.

[TruckerDJ]

thanks man

[omeoxlv]

Originally Posted by Ockrocket

Never mind back road closures.

To show how small minded council bureaucrats are, the Bells Line Of Road has been sign posted at 60 kph from Bilpin almost all the way to Bell due to "roadworks" and "traffic hazard ahead".

No sign of either roadworks or hazards, just some aresehole in an office "doing his bit" to keep the long weekend road toll down in the local area.

In reality it had a lot of drivers and riders pissed off and subsequently doing risky overtaking on double white lines.

Altogether far to many "rule makers" trying to keep us safe from ourselves.

I know it seems a futile effort but speak to your local member and make you dissatisfaction known. But be intelligent about it. Give them an alternative to consider.
Graeme

[bigdag]

As a local and a forty year frequenter of Stockton beach I believe that it was degraded long before the so called storm damage.
I have witnessed a complete change in the beach character, from steep shingley foreshore to a 100 yard wide highway that doesn't sustain fish and littoral species like it used to.

There used to be pippies for just picking up and fish far in excess of todays numbers. I believe that heavy traffic has destroyed these shellfish stocks. Without shellfish to feed on, no fish to catch.

The 'huts', known by the media as "tin City", used to be hidden in the dunes. It is now visible from the foreshore, and in danger of being washed away in future storms. The beach has been eroded back for considerable distance, which destabilisation from traffic can only accelerate.

Don't get me wrong. I love the wild places and I certainly don't like restrictions preventing me going to them, but I think Stockton Beach has been loved to death.

About the only negative thing that no access means is now those few users who used to help clean up the garbage from runoff can't do so.

[Fatguts McCantRide]

There's a big thing we can do. Be at the protest rally this weekend. 9am, Pitt St Reserve, Stockton followed by a convoy out west and down the F3, and then out to Cessnock Showgrounds. I'm heavily involved in the Don't Lock Up Australia campaign and in particular this rally. It's not about pointing the finger of blame. It's about getting as many people as possible to stand together and make it known that the policy of conservation through exclusion isn't the right one for Australia.

edit: Without wanting this to sound like spam, we need to spread the word about this. Riders, fishos, campers, 4WDers, horseback riders, bushwalkers, whoever loves the bush needs to be there.

[GodSilla]

Originally Posted by bigdag

As a local and a forty year frequenter of Stockton beach I believe that it was degraded long before the so called storm damage.
I have witnessed a complete change in the beach character, from steep shingley foreshore to a 100 yard wide highway that doesn't sustain fish and littoral species like it used to.

There used to be pippies for just picking up and fish far in excess of todays numbers. I believe that heavy traffic has destroyed these shellfish stocks. Without shellfish to feed on, no fish to catch.

The 'huts', known by the media as "tin City", used to be hidden in the dunes. It is now visible from the foreshore, and in danger of being washed away in future storms. The beach has been eroded back for considerable distance, which destabilisation from traffic can only accelerate.

Don't get me wrong. I love the wild places and I certainly don't like restrictions preventing me going to them, but I think Stockton Beach has been loved to death.

About the only negative thing that no access means is now those few users who used to help clean up the garbage from runoff can't do so.

Well said bigdag. The blurb before your post says that the recreational area for vehicles is still open. So it hasn't been closed off completely, or for good.

I find some of the reactions to land management issues to be borderline hysteria, this seems to be a simple case of storm damage, and the need to keep campers and vehicles out while it recovers.

The logging insdustry can completely strip-mine large areas of public forest, and no-one says boo, the mining industry can permanently destroy huge tracts of arable land, and the silence is deafening, the CSG industry is currently poisoning many aquifers and releasing vast amounts of methane, and people look the other way.

Temporarily close a camping area on a beach though to allow it to recover and there's protest rallies.

Has anyone got a functioning frontal cortex any more?

[CJ Burns Esq]

Originally Posted by Fatguts McCantRide

There's a big thing we can do. Be at the protest rally this weekend. 9am, Pitt St Reserve, Stockton followed by a convoy out west and down the F3, and then out to Cessnock Showgrounds. I'm heavily involved in the Don't Lock Up Australia campaign and in particular this rally. It's not about pointing the finger of blame. It's about getting as many people as possible to stand together and make it known that the policy of conservation through exclusion isn't the right one for Australia.

edit: Without wanting this to sound like spam, we need to spread the word about this. Riders, fishos, campers, 4WDers, horseback riders, bushwalkers, whoever loves the bush needs to be there.

Mr McCantRide is spot on. This is your opportunity to stand up for something. As Roothy has said be there or stay at home and play computer games forever.
The Missus and I will be there with our bikes in a trailer and they need all the numbers they cang et.
This isn't jsut baout Stockton but also the Watagans and generela management plans across the state.
If the State Ministers see a big turn out about this then something will get sdone through public pressure and through the efforts of Mr McantRide and others.
Stand for something or kneel for anything.