Logging the National Trail

09/05/2010 11:44 pm

Created as a tourism and environmental icon as part of Australia's Bicentennial celebrations, the Australian Bicentennial National Trail (ABNT) is a 5,330 km multi-use trail. Most people are surprised by Environment Minister Gavin Jenning's decision to allow logging of the Australian Bicentential National Trail. Public safety zones around the logging areas make it illegal to use the Victorian end in Toolangi. Other logging in the area is going to impact the recently-proposed CJ Dennis Memorial Trail that will connect Kinglake and the Monda Track.

Gavin Jennings MLC, Victoria's Environment Minister, has authorised logging of the national trail for woodchips by VicForests who returned a loss of $5 million in 2009.

Aggressive Log Truck Drivers Do not Make Track Users Feel Welcome

Whilst driving the Monda Road section of the National Trail with a bus load of members of the Victorian Parliament and their advisers, a log truck driver forced the bus off the road and then spoke in an aggressive manner to the drive. The following is an account of the incident. It is hardly safe or suitable that tourists are exposed to this kind of behavior.

Agressive behaviour by log truck drivers on the national trail - You do not have permission to view this object.

CuChullaine O'Reilly of the Long Riders' Guild has the following comments in relation to logging of the trail:

There has been an explosion of interest in equestrian travel, since the formation of the Long Riders' Guild, the world's first international association of equestrian explorers and long distance travellers. The Guild now has Members in 41 countries and has been involved in assisting more than a hundred equestrian expeditions on every continent except Antarctica. (www.thelongridersguild.com )

Throughout the course of this unique international effort, the LRG has continually held up one country - Australia - as an example of a nation who understood the need to promote and protect the country's singular equestrian heritage. To the world's equestrian explorers, the most inspiring example of Australia's legendary love of horses has always been the creation of the Bicentennial National Trail. Not only has the BNT inspired many Australians to set off in search of equestrian adventure, just as importantly the BNT has inspired foreign Long Riders to journey to Australia and ride along this magnificent trail on their own life-changing equestrian journeys.

Thus, the allure and importance of this legendary trail has never been confined to Australia.

The lessons, and influences, of the BNT have in turn influenced other nations to create their own system of national trails. Canada, for example, is completing an equestrian trail that will allow a Long Rider to ride "ocean to ocean" across that country. Meanwhile, in Europe the nations whose landscape was once scarred by the hostile "Iron Curtain" are busy turning that thousand mile trail of hate into a grass covered equestrian pathway.

Thus nations and individuals around the world owe Australia's political and equestrian leaders an immense thanks for having led the way in not only creating the magnificent Bicentennial National Trail, but for having inspired in turn the formation of other national trails of a similar nature.

Consequently, the leaders of the Long Riders' Guild were alarmed to learn that portions of this global equestrian treasure are now in danger due to intense logging. Our organization would urge Australia's political, environmental and equestrian leaders to work together so as to preserve the integrity of one of our planet's most important equestrian treasures.

CuChullaine O'Reilly - FRGS

Founder - The Long Riders' Guild

Public Safety Zones Make it Illegal to walk the Bicentennial National Trail

Here is a map of the public safety zones indicating where new coupes are going to take place from the Forest Explorer which makes it illegal to use roads through the area.

Take a look at what VicForests are doing at Mt St Leonard near Toolangi and the impacts it will have on the proposed CJ Dennis Memorial Trail between Kinglake and the Monda Track

The logging of Mt St Leonard

In 2008 VicForests started a coupe which has recently been completed and is now visible on the side of the mountain. VicForests have now requested to log two more coupes that will be visible from Yarra Glen, School Lane, the Main Street of Healesville and the balcony of Innocent Bystander.

Have your say - Call for submissions on Logging in the Central Highlands

Despite the review of the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) being three years overdue, the state government is committed to allocating extra native forest for wood chipping rather than protecting endangered species' habitat.