Watch out for wires

By Lachlan Ellis

A motorcycle club has warned Lal Lal riders of a dangerous discovery, that could have injured or even killed riders if it wasn’t spotted.

Three riders from the Ballarat Rovers Motorcycle Club were riding their dirt bikes in Lal Lal a fortnight ago, when they came across a wire stretched from one tree to another over the bike track.

Rovers President Sue Freeman said it wasn’t the first time someone had set such a dangerous trap for riders, and urged whoever was setting them up to think about their actions.

“It was spotted by three guys riding out in Lal Lal Forest near Dolly’s Creek. If you say to someone that you’re going to be riding out Lal Lal, that’s where they mean, the Dolly’s Creek area. They were lucky to see it, if they hadn’t seen it, one of them would be dead,” Ms Freeman told the Moorabool News.

“Unfortunately, we did have a member in our club about 20 years ago who passed away from a very similar incident. These people that are doing this thing, they just don’t get it. It’s just crazy, it’s so dangerous. That’s a potential of three lives being lost on that day, just from doing something they enjoy, perfectly legally…you shouldn’t have to be worrying about wires across tracks.

“And it’s not just affecting motorcycle riders, it’s also dangerous for horse riders and pushbike riders.”

Unfortunately, similar incidents have happened for “many years”, Ms Freeman said.

“These three guys were lucky enough to see it, took a photo, and put it on social media. It’s not just wires, some of these people go and put tree logs over the track and stuff like that,” she said.

If you come across wires across tracks or any other dangerous obstacles, you can report them to The Conservation Regulator on 136 186.