Christchurch City Council rangers are urging visitors to Waitākiri Bottle Lake Forest to dob in motorbike riders amid a rise in injuries and damage at the popular park.
The Christchurch City Council said its rangers were seeing an increasing number of incidents involving electric and petrol motorbikes being used in parks around the city despite not being permitted under the council’s Parks and Reserve Bylaw.
"We’re noticing them coming into Bottle Lake Forest, which is incredibly dangerous for other park users," head coastal and plains ranger Robbie Hewson said.
"People have been injured on tracks which have been gouged with deep ruts caused by trail bikes, as well as being frightened using the park."
Hewson said while electric motorbikes and pedal assist e-bikes were allowed on cycling tracks, electric motorbikes were not due to their ability to reach excessively high speeds.
"An electric motorbike is much more powerful than an e-bike so because of their speed and weight, motorbikes pose risks to other forest users, cause damage to our tracks and destroy planted areas," he said.
He added that the deep ruts, widening of tracks and damage to vegetation can be difficult to restore.
Signage had been installed at entrances to the park to remind users electric and petrol motorbikes weren't allowed.
However, Hewson said rangers were also calling on visitors who spot motorbikes to report or identify them as a "further deterrent".
Rangers would be working with the police to address the issues.
"We want people to be able to come to Bottle Lake Forest and enjoy themselves, whether you’re walking, riding a mountain bike or our regular horse riders," he said.
"If you’ve got a motorbike please don’t come into our parks. You can head to Kaiapoi Island Motocross Park and Weedons Forest have excellent terrain for trail bike riding."
The production forest and recreational park located 10km north-east of the city centre receives more than 400,000 visitors each year.
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