Bendethra Track closures

[Tank]

NPWS (Narooma) have closed all of the F/T's around Bendethra on the South Coast of NSW, the only way into Bendethra now is by Little Sugarloaf F/T and Bendethra F/T, so when you get into Bendethra, setup camp you cannot use any of the F/T's other than the one's above.
I have been talking with "Geedublya", about meeting up with him for a trip into Bendethra (see Upcoming Events).
NPWS have listed all the F/T's around Bendethra closed while roadworks are being undertaken and will be closed for a long time to allow the bulldozer rubble to pack down, how that is going to happen if no one is driving on it to pack it down I don't know. NPWS are talking permanent or seasonal closure.
That is 100's of Klms. of tracks closed, maybe permanently.
My friends and I have had no problems with any of the F/T's around here, NOT until they got the dozers in and left the tracks almost impassable, this rubble left after dozing is causing loss of traction and gouging out the hard packed surface underneath. Only time I have ever had trouble on Mongamulla is after dozer work, I have towed a D3 from almost the bottom to the top without a problem (D3 had mechanical problem), not a chance of doing it now after the dozer has been through.
I am enclosing a copy of the PM that I sent to Geedublya, have a read and would appreciate any feedback .
Also have a look at the pics in the Trip reports section "Day and Night trip through Duea"
COPY OF PM:Tony Baxter, head ranger rang me back, he is blaming 4WD'ers for wrecking the tracks, esp. those with Camper Trailers in tow.
A year or so ago NPWS sent in the dozers to repair the tracks and again recently, the dozers are still in there. My argument is that the rubble (up to 6" deep) created by the dozers is causing some of the tracks to become impassable.
I and others I know never had problems with these (now dozed) tracks, it is a "Catch 22" situation, they doze the tracks and leave behind up to 6" of loose rubble, which if packed down would eventually form a solid road base. But not allowing access to these tracks for 4WD's (No C/T's) doesn't allow the rubble to be packed down, I don't know of anyway other than 4wd's to pack it down, the dozers certainly aren't doing it.
NPWS are saying that there will be longer duration closures or seasonal closures to allow the rubble to be packed down, I ask, by whom, are theY going to take sheepsfoot rollers down along with graders. NPWS say that these roads are there for the use of Fire Trucks, I would like to see a loaded fire truck tanker get up mongamulla or round the switch backs on Dampier FT.
I can see permanent track closures around Bendethra and the rest of the NP's in the area, leading to the downfall of camping in Bendethra. Tuross Falls camping area was/is closed because NPWS is worried about falling branches.
I know the towns of Moruya and Braidwood will suffer, tourism is a big part of our economy down here, I will post this reply in General Chat, anybody have any ideas of what can be done to save these trails for our use, if it happens here it will spread to other areas as well, any suggestions, Regards Frank.



[QUOTE=Geedublya]Thanks Frank. Hopefully we will be OK for the 9-10th.

[QUOTE=Tank]I just rang NPWS at Narooma and the head Ranger is going to get back to me. Last time they did this I got in touch with my friend at the Moruya Chamber of Commerce and he got these road/track closures lifted.
Moruya business's earn their livings off Tourists, many of them 4WD'ers.
The only problem with any of the FT's is that the dozer is leaving up to 6" of rubble on the steep parts of the tracks as you would have seen in the photos of our last trip in there.
So it is not 4WD's that are buggering the tracks but the bloody dozers, anyway I will keep you informed, Regards Frank

[Bigbjorn]

A dozer, or crawler tractor is not designed to compact the surface it works on. The whole idea of a track-laying or chain rail tractor is low ground pressure. A crawler-dozer's job is to dig and push and not get bogged. To compact the restored surface a compaction roller must be used. If there are reasonably sized crawler tractor-dozers (10-20 ton) available then a V12 vibrating drawn roller would be the ideal choice.

[Tank]

A dozer, or crawler tractor is not designed to compact the surface it works on. The whole idea of a track-laying or chain rail tractor is low ground pressure. A crawler-dozer's job is to dig and push and not get bogged. To compact the restored surface a compaction roller must be used. If there are reasonably sized crawler tractor-dozers (10-20 ton) available then a V12 vibrating drawn roller would be the ideal choice.
That's the problem, they only have a dozer and it leaves behind a smooth track with about 6" of loose rubble which gives no traction at all, causing wheelspin and damaging the harder layer underneath. Before the dozing and the rubble they left behind steep tracks like Mongamulla were not a problem. there was a hard surface which didn't induce wheelspin. Now NPWS have closed these tracks because they are slippery and (they say) dangerous, yet this is caused by the aftermath of the dozer.
I had to winch Allan's (VNX-205) defender up Mongamulla on this dozer rubble when he had never had trouble with this track ever before. I towed a D3 up this section of track (before the Dozer) with no traction problems at all. It would be impossible now that they have "REPAIRED" the track.
What I need to know is what is closing these "REPAIRED" tracks going to do, are NPWS waiting for heavy rains to wash all this loose dozer rubble off the tracks and down into the creeks and rivers, or do they think that if no one drives on them they will compact this loose stuff down into a stable surface, miraculously on their own. NPWS rightly points out that these tracks have to be maintained for Fire Truck access, well the way these tracks are after the dozer has been through, I can't see a loaded Fire tanker getting up any of these tracks now. If I have trouble in a Disco 300TDI Auto with 12.5" wide tyres let down to 16PSI with CDL and ARB diff locks both ends with 4.11 diff gearing and weighing just under 2 tonnes, then how is a 8 Tonne truck with 5 tonnes of water going to handle this rubble left by the dozers.
Closing these tracks will eventually become a permanent thing and the camping areas will close, this isn't the thin end of the wedge to closing OUR NP's and FT's to 4WD'ers, it is the thick, blunt edge of the wedge.
NPWS say they don't have the money to service these tracks anymore, so their solution is doze these F/T's and don't allow 4WD'ers onto them.
Any opinions/views on this subject, please, remember this is happening now, soon to be showing in a NP near you, Regards Frank.

[Tank]

Bump, oh the shame, Regards Frank.

[frantic]

Wonder if aulrovians who are members on other Aus forums could copy and paste the original post as this will hit all 4wders. Cruiser, patrol, 4x4 oz etc.

I've been at work so only saw this yesterday on phone.

[Redback]

This is what I found


Alerts


closed areas



Closed - Last chamber of Bendethera Main Cave - Bendethera Cave (http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkWalking.aspx?id=N0047#BendetheraCave) (Ends Sunday 31 August)Bendethera Main Cave is a significant over-wintering roosting site for the threatened bat species Eastern Bentwing Bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis) and Eastern Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus megaphyllus). These bats hibernate and over-winter in the cave from June to August each year. Disturbing these bats during hibernation can have a serious impact on their ability to survive the winter. The last chamber of Bendethera Main Cave containing the bat roosting sites, is CLOSED for the period 1st June 2014 to 31st August 2014 in accordance with the prescriptions of the Deua NP Karst Area Management Plan 2011.
Road Closures
Visitors are advised that access to Bendethera should be made from the east only via Little Sugarloaf Rd and Bendethera Fire Trail. Dampier Mountain Fire Trail is in very poor condition and may become impassable. Merricumbene, Dry Creek and Oulla Creek Fire Trails remain CLOSED due to poor surface conditions and ongoing maintenance works. A reminder that trailers have been banned on Minuma Range, Dampier Mountain, Merricumbene, Mongamula, Dry Creek and Oulla Creek Fire Trails.For more information, please contact NPWS Narooma on (02) 4476 0800.

Some fire trails not suitable for trailer accessNPWS has had advisory signs in place for some time to encourage people towing 4WD trailers to avoid some of the steeper, harder-to-maintain fire trails in Deua National Park. However, due to ongoing damage to trails as a result of continued inappropriate use of 4WDs towing trailers on these signposted trails, the NPWS is now prohibiting the use of trailers on the following fire trails in Deua National Park:

Dampier Mountain FT
Oulla Creek FT
Minuma Range FT
Merricumbene FT
Mongamula FT
Dry Creek FT.
It is now an offence to tow trailers on these fire trails. The penalty for towing trailers on these fire trails is a $300 penalty infringement notice, or higher if the matter is taken to court.By keeping trailers away from these identified trails, you reduce the safety risk to yourself and others, reduce damage to the park environment and your assets and reduce park maintenance costs, a benefit to everyone.Trailer access to Bendethera is still available from Moruya via Little Sugarloaf Road and Bendethera Fire Trail. From Braidwood, this increases travel time by about ½ to 1 hour. NPWS has programmed more maintenance work on Bendethera FT to improve access for 4WD vehicles.

[pibby]

In relation to compacting as mentioned a dozer is not capable. My neighbour has a 50 ton and a 20 ton dozer and he's done plenty of work at my place. I have a 5.5 ton excavator. If I want the ground compacted after doing work I drive on it with my defender. When you calculate the ground pressure per sq inch the car beats track rolling any day of the week.

Depending on the type of tracks on the dozer they can actually make sections of the surface looser or easier to be dislodged.