Maintenance of unofficial tracks

[Binder]

Thanks Phil

Yes Wildcare is what I was thinking of. We have a very successful group at Mt Field, and all the insurance issues are dealt with under an umbrella organisation that covers all of the various Wildcare groups across the state.

Good luck up there !

[under10kg]

I was told in Laminton natironal park that if the rangers catch you with hand snippers you get fined big!
THe rangers must like wait a ages vines!

[greyim]

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Re: Maintenance of unofficial tracks

Binder » Thu 03 May, 2012 5:19 pm
There now fairly simple ways around the liability / insurance issue for volunteers doing work on Parks.
I would be really happy to talk to anyone about track clearing in the Southwest. Thinking of Red Tape Ck, Condominium Ck and Port Davey/Arthurs plains tracks for starters..."

Might be pretty easy do do now!
http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/gearth.jsp

[corvus]

If I did a bit of gardening on the Maggs 17 to the ART would that be OK as there are a couple of places that really need trimming ?
corvus

[greyim]

M17 is becoming quite popular. What was ok to start with becomes a quandry with usage. Needs either boardwalk thru spagnum beds or reroute around? imo. So perhaps initially split windblown duckboarding? !

[ryantmalone]

I am interested to hear people's views on the ethics and legality of maintaining these tracks. Eg some or all of
- tying ribbons and/or nailing markers to trees
- removing dead trees and branches from the track
- pruning branches on living trees that are blocking the existing path
- pruning branches on living trees that are not yet blocking the path, but would if left unchecked
- cutting a new section of a track through the bush where the original has been overgrown and lost, or else blocked due to landslide or an obstacle that is too big to move.

I'm a firm believer that when we go hiking, that we leave no trace. That said, there are many great places where tracks dont exist, where people do tend to go, and continue to go for whatever reason. Eg, Helicopter Spur, the spur from the Viking, and the Blue Hills, Jamieson Spur, Little Bogong, Champion Spur, and so on.

I weigh up what's better for that area. Would having no marked trail be better, with many walkers over time creating several pads, cutting several paths through thick scrub, be a good idea, or would having the occasional tape or blaze on a tree be the better option, keeping hikers to one line, as to minimize the effect.

I would never bring a machete to an untracked area for the sake of cutting through scrub. I know many people on this forum do, but that is something that is inexcusable in my opinion.

I think the extent that I would go would be to simply carry some tape to "fill the gaps" on some well known routes, or even blaze, use a machete to help clear some scrub on a maintained track, but that would be it, and I think that's the way it should be.

[michael_p]

Just as a side matter.

If you are going to put out flag tape don't do it like this:

What's in the photo is just part of the mess that we found. I don't have a major issue with the use of flag tape but the above is just terrible.

Cheers,
Michael.

[Onestepmore]

Many of the tracks in the Blue Mountains were constructed around the turn of the century. They were often built to a high standard, well benched and with sandstone steps, walls and stairs. For National Parks to even restore a single one of these tracks costs in excess of $1m. They simply don't have the money to do more. See
http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/world- ... ing-track/
for an example of one of the most famous ones.

They have also recently restored the Grand Canyon Track near Blackheath.

That was a great link, thanks for finding it and posting. It answered many questions I was asking as we walked this track in Nov 2012. I always marvel at the workmanship that the original track cutters and stonemasons did, and was really glad to see good quality, well constructed and sympathetic repairs.

On a different scale, I too am tempted to bring some loppers (and a chainsaw would be nice!) to do a bit of maintenance on Starlight's track, heading down to Emmetts Flat in the Nattai. This is an 'official track'. There's lots of scrubby regrowth, fallen logs on the path, and it's not as if it's a remote or obscure track. Once again is it simply a lack of financial resources as to why popular tracks such as this seem to have no maintenance? Work on the Ensign Barrallier trail would be nice too, but that's a different kettle of fish, as it's in the Nattai Wilderness, and it cosses water catchment. Shame, as it could be a great walk.

[corvus]

M17 is becoming quite popular. What was ok to start with becomes a quandry with usage. Needs either boardwalk thru spagnum beds or reroute around? imo. So perhaps initially split windblown duckboarding? !

I agree that the the sphagnum beds are getting a battering but I think they will survive just like the one on the Reedy Lake track if cords are not created so I believe that board walks are not really needed.
corvus

[sim1oz]

- pruning branches on living trees that are blocking the existing path
- pruning branches on living trees that are not yet blocking the path, but would if left unchecked
- cutting a new section of a track through the bush where the original has been overgrown and lost, or else blocked due to landslide or an obstacle that is too big to move.

This has been a very interesting discussion to follow. One thing in the OP caught my eye. I am interested in when and how an official track becomes unofficial or vice versa.
I have just come back from a weekend in the Cape Liptrap Coastal Park. There is a walk described in two of Glenn Tempest's books on walks near Melbourne. The first book, "Weekend Walks Around Melbourne" published in 2003, says that Parks Victoria proposed to formalise an overnight walk using beach sections and the existing network of trails. But I could not find mention of the coastal walk on the Parks Victoria website. Then in 2010 Glenn comments on his website (http://osp.com.au/?p=457) :

Looks like Parks Victoria never got around to formalising the two-day walk from Cape Liptrap to Venus Bay. Perhaps no bureaucrat wanted to risk promoting a walk with a tide dependant section of coastline (of course walkers cannot be trusted to look up the tide times and take some responsibility for their own actions). Parks Victoria have recognised the need for a camping area though and a small grassy spot exists about 300m back from the beach (big enough for half a dozen small tents).

One thing that was clear when we walked the first day of the 'track' is that there has been no visible track maintenance. So there were 3-4 sections of dense bush-bashing required, sometimes with no visible trail underneath all the growth. You can imagine the jibes thrown at the walk leader about not including a machete on the list of things to bring! We also spent quite a bit of time finding a clear track to follow after the one we were on petered out - on more than one occasion. Additionally, there were no signs indicating when to head down to the beach or up on the cliff to avoid impassable sections. If we hadn't have been walking with people who had done the walk before we would probably have turned back pretty quickly which is a shame because it was a beautiful walk. I did wonder as we spread out for the umpeenth time to find a path forward whether it would be better off for the environment to just ban the walk or allow some track maintenance by local clubs or bushwalkers. For those sections where we found a faint or clear path, our group's 20+ feet would have made the path a little clearer for those who might follow.

Given we are likely to head into a long term era of small government which means even less funds for organisations like state park bodies, who should be allowed to perform track maintenance and who decides which tracks?

[north-north-west]

Given we are likely to head into a long term era of small government which means even less funds for organisations like state park bodies, who should be allowed to perform track maintenance and who decides which tracks?

It's probably going to become a matter of 'whoever wants to, will', because Parks are unlikely to have the money to have staff checking in to see what's going on.

[Hughmac]

I have no qualms about doing a bit of track maintenance with a machete or secateurs if necessary - I spent a day on Starlight's a couple of years ago doing just that, and have used same along some sections of the Nattai, although more selectively (blackberrys and those *&%$#! awful tree violets, H. dentata). A number of tracks in The Royal National Park would benefit from the same treatment - Couranga comes to mind. Would be less destructive than National Park's method of slashing everything one metre either side of the track when they do make the effort. I know at least two tracks in the Royal which have disappeared since I started walking there.

[clarence]

Fully agree with previous two comments.

I take secateurs and a folding saw on most walks.

Some people do go a little overboard with tape. I'd rather see an effort at clearing or cairning a track.

With old/exisitng tracks it is a case of maintaining cultural heritage- which is part of the charter of Parks and Wildlife Services in many states. By failing to maintain these trails they are ignoring maintenance of cultural heritage.

Even when PWSs have the money to do any track work, a very large proportion of it is wasted on bureaucracy, consultants and hugely overengineered bridges, platforms, handrails etc.

Many PWSs regard tracks as a public safety risk and maintenance liability. When I used to work for NPWS in NSW there was talk of actively closing down tracks in the Royal NP, so Hughmac's comments are no surprise.

Clarence