Skatepark opens to tricks and friends
Skaters and riders alike have returned to the bowls and grind rails to perfect their tricks once again as the Warragul skate park opened after the easing of restrictions.
Adhering to social distancing and with many having masks for use when not riding, skaters enjoyed the opportunity to hit the park after a long layoff.
Scooter rider Ben Stanfield said that while in lockdown he decided to take matters into his own hands, not letting the restrictions prevent him from enjoying his favourite past time.
“It wasn’t that bad, I ended up building my own ramp so I could use that. I mostly missed coming down to ride with my mates and seeing them,” Ben said.
Before lockdown Ben had been perfecting his backflip, which he was able to land upon his return to the park on Thursday, but said it took some time to believe he could do it at the park.
“I’ve been riding for about two and a half years and to do the backflip I had to really get my confidence up. I did a lot of them into the airbags at indoor parks before trying outside,” Ben said.
Socialising and being able to get outside and ride was one of the biggest reasons Ben Carter came down to the park, with the return welcomed by many riders from Drouin and Warragul. “I mostly go to Drouin, but I came to Warragul this week to ride with some friends,” Ben said.
For James Dawes, it was perfecting his ledge grind and for Brock Sawyer it was making sure his 180 was quick and smooth, both spending the afternoon enjoying the reopened park with their mates.
As Regional Victoria took the next step in easing restrictions it has seen more people able to enjoy playgrounds, skate parks and sporting fields as the region slowly opens after the lockdown.
VicForests plan to allow a start to logging in a timber coupe near Noojee from later this month until the end of November, a decision labelled by a local resident as “absolutely outrageous”.
David Clarke, a spokesman for Friends of Noojee’s trees said harvesting in the Boys Shelter coupe 1.5 kilometres from the town would greatly increase the risk and threats of bushfire.
Environmental group Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum won a court decision banning harvesting of native forests in 66 coupes in Gippsland based on threats to the endangered Leadbeater’s possum and the greater glider.
However, Mr Clarke said Boys Shelter was not included in the court action although it included two other coupes closer to, and virtually adjoining, the town.
VicForests has appealed the court decision but it has no relevance to the Boys Shelter coupe.
It says a silvicultural harvesting system that identifies the percentage area of the coupe to be logged, sometimes as little as 20 per cent, will be used.
The system is designed so environmental needs are met, including protection of the habitat of endangered species.
A spokesperson for VicForests said that over the past two years VicForests had tailored its harvesting approach to each geographic location to help protect environmental values of that area.
“This responsible harvesting method gives VicForests greater flexibility to conduct its operations sustainably and support biodiversity.”
VicForests plans to harvest about 16 ha of the 30.8 ha Boys Shelter coupe in 2020/21. This approach protects habitat and other environmental features by retaining around half of the gross coupe area, the spokesperson said.
The coupe largely consists of Mountain Ash and Grey Gum, as well as a small amount of Silvertop Ash.
Mr Clarke argues that “the science is settled” on the fact that regrowth forests are a greater fire hazard than mature forests.
The regrowth is more flammable and sucks the moisture out of the ground and is more susceptible to dry lighting that has increased as a result of climate change, he claimed.
“There is no question whatsoever the bushfire risk will increase for people living in the area”.
VicForests doesn’t seem to give a damn about people and their livelihoods, Mr Clarke stated, adding that the severity of bushfires in eastern Victoria and south New South Wales last summer were due to regrowth forests.