Weekend warriors confront anti-hooning laws
By Liz Brooker
news@longreachleader.com.au
TOUGH new State-wide anti-hooning laws came into play at the beginning of the week, leaving one local trail bike rider worried he may become a target for unwarranted ticketing.
Under the new laws police have their powers extended to include the ability to confiscate trail bikes, with repeat offenders potentially losing their chosen mode of transport permanently.
The amendments also allow the courts to impose restrictions on the times and places trail bikes can be ridden, along with the issue of 48-hour noise abatement orders.
On any given weekend up to 20 trail riders can be found on the outskirts of Longreach, practising their sport not only on the showgrounds motocross track but also around the Town Common and the Thomson River.
A local rider said that until he had been approached by The Longreach Leader he was unaware of the law changes but is now worried he will become a easy target for police.
"If I can, I get out every weekend, and I do it legally.
"I walk my bike to the edge of town - it’s a racebike and isn’t licensed for the road - then I either head down by the river or to the track.
"It is unbelievable that you can now have your bike taken away from you.
"A lot of the cops around here ride or have ridden bikes in the past, so why target us now?
"Potentially, policing could take all the fun out of it."
Police Minister Judy Spence said noisy and careless riding of trail bikes had become a common complaint in communities across Queensland and the law changes were one of the ways of stamping out the problem.
"Local parks and bushland are an important part of our natural environment and irresponsible trail bike riding can cause significant environmental damage.
"Hooning in these areas also impacts on residents living nearby who moved there to enjoy the peace and quiet.
"The police will now regularly patrol local parks, forests and known problem areas to enforce the new laws which are not about targeting responsible riders - it is about cracking down on those who annoy others or damage the environment."
What is most worrying for the local rider is what level of noise will be deemed as ‘too loud’.
Currently he has a standard, manufacturer recommended muffler on his $7,000 bike and can’t see a way of making it any quieter in the immediate future.
"My bike has the standard pipe on it; I couldn’t make it any quieter even if I was picked up.
"How can I be prosecuted for that? Who is going to say how loud is too loud anyway?
"Yes there are one or two riders who will rev their bikes up but that’s only once in a blue moon.
"It is going to be a case of hoping and praying we don’t become an easy target. I guess I am going to be spending the weekends looking over my shoulder for flashing lights."
news@longreachleader.com.au
TOUGH new State-wide anti-hooning laws came into play at the beginning of the week, leaving one local trail bike rider worried he may become a target for unwarranted ticketing.
Under the new laws police have their powers extended to include the ability to confiscate trail bikes, with repeat offenders potentially losing their chosen mode of transport permanently.
The amendments also allow the courts to impose restrictions on the times and places trail bikes can be ridden, along with the issue of 48-hour noise abatement orders.
On any given weekend up to 20 trail riders can be found on the outskirts of Longreach, practising their sport not only on the showgrounds motocross track but also around the Town Common and the Thomson River.
A local rider said that until he had been approached by The Longreach Leader he was unaware of the law changes but is now worried he will become a easy target for police.
"If I can, I get out every weekend, and I do it legally.
"I walk my bike to the edge of town - it’s a racebike and isn’t licensed for the road - then I either head down by the river or to the track.
"It is unbelievable that you can now have your bike taken away from you.
"A lot of the cops around here ride or have ridden bikes in the past, so why target us now?
"Potentially, policing could take all the fun out of it."
Police Minister Judy Spence said noisy and careless riding of trail bikes had become a common complaint in communities across Queensland and the law changes were one of the ways of stamping out the problem.
"Local parks and bushland are an important part of our natural environment and irresponsible trail bike riding can cause significant environmental damage.
"Hooning in these areas also impacts on residents living nearby who moved there to enjoy the peace and quiet.
"The police will now regularly patrol local parks, forests and known problem areas to enforce the new laws which are not about targeting responsible riders - it is about cracking down on those who annoy others or damage the environment."
What is most worrying for the local rider is what level of noise will be deemed as ‘too loud’.
Currently he has a standard, manufacturer recommended muffler on his $7,000 bike and can’t see a way of making it any quieter in the immediate future.
"My bike has the standard pipe on it; I couldn’t make it any quieter even if I was picked up.
"How can I be prosecuted for that? Who is going to say how loud is too loud anyway?
"Yes there are one or two riders who will rev their bikes up but that’s only once in a blue moon.
"It is going to be a case of hoping and praying we don’t become an easy target. I guess I am going to be spending the weekends looking over my shoulder for flashing lights."
posted by dr mcgillicudy's cudsong at 11:05 AM
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