Trail bike riders will get caught, prosecuted and possibly lose their bikes, if they continue to scar and wreck outstanding landscapes and historic sites throughout Otago, the Department of Conservation warns.
The warning follows the appearance in Dunedin District Court yesterday of the last of eight people apprehended by police and Doc staff in January for using trail bikes in prohibited sections of the Macetown Historic reserve.
Judge Paul Keller said the primary purpose of the Reserves Act "is that the integrity of the environment is maintained".
Of the eight, four were convicted and fined and four granted diversion, with each of the latter making $200 to $300 donations to conservation groups in the Wakatipu area.
Doc's Wakatipu area manager Greg Lind said over the years many of Macetown's important historic sites had suffered considerable damage from illegal use of four-wheel-drive vehicles and trail bikes.
Macetown and similar reserves and conservation areas were public places and as such they were subject to road rules.
After an incident in 2004 with four-wheel-drives, the department fenced off bog areas at Macetown and erected signs directing users to stay on formed tracks. Since then, "dirt bikes" had become a problem causing increasing amounts of damage in many areas, he said.
The response of Doc staff and police previously had been to issue warnings, but a group Mr Lind called the "five percenters", ignored all the messages.
"This time, we took a strong stand and with the support of the police will continue to do so; these places are precious. Those who ignore warning signs, scar outstanding landscapes and wreck historic sites, will be held to account.
