Onkaparinga Council to take action at known motorcycling hotspots to tackle hoon riding
HOONS be gone – that’s the message Onkaparinga Council wants to send, as it embarks on a southern suburbs safety blitz after a spate of dangerous riding.
HOONS be gone – that’s the message in a southern suburbs safety blitz.
Onkaparinga Council is taking action at known motorcycling hotspots in response to concerns over a spate of dangerous hoon riding.
The council will install tree logs, traffic barriers and signage at sites near and within Wilfred Taylor Reserve at Morphett Vale to counteract unauthorised access.
Locations to soon receive treatment include Thrushgrove Creek, the eastern side of the pedestrian path under Main South Rd and a footpath on Albert Terrace.
Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg said the council was working in conjunction with police in a bid to deter riders from the area.
“Police have also informed the council that they will continue to actively patrol the areas identified,” Ms Rosenberg said.
An SA Police spokesman told Southern Times Messenger there had been an increase in the number of complaints about reckless motorbike riding in the South Coast area.
Mayor Rosenberg met with Fisher MP Nat Cook last week to discuss anti-social and dangerous behaviour on tracks and streets.
Ms Cook said there were ongoing resident concerns about a potential link between hoon riding and a perceived spate in motorbike thefts.
“Six weeks ago I was contacted by numerous residents about stolen bikes being ridden dangerously on the roads – and it’s still an issue,” Ms Cook said.
“We are working on getting the information and reporting it on to authorities. It’s at a critical point.”
The police spokesman acknowledged there had been several reports of stolen motorbikes during the first two weeks of August but said the statistics were not up on previous months.
Between July 24 and August 2, five incidents involving the theft of motorbikes from sheds and homes were reported, including two different properties targeted on Beachport Rd, Seaford Rise.
“You would have to think it’s plausible that there is a link between the thefts and this behaviour,” Ms Cook said.
“There seems to be several different types of people riding on the streets.
“One group is doing so because it’s cheap and convenient for them even though it’s not necessarily safe, the second is doing so for fun and the third is a group who do want to enjoy their bikes but don’t have a space to ride them.”
In campaigning for an off-road track for recreational riders, Ms Cook is talking with Sport Minister Leon Bignell, Mayor Rosenberg and Motorcycling SA.
The industry body manages the closest track to the southern suburbs – in the Adelaide Hills ACUSA (Auto Cycle Union of SA) Park.
However, Ms Rosenberg said a site was yet to be identified because of obstacles in zoning, environmental demands and proximity to residential areas.