A Hunter councillor is pushing for the state government to hand police greater powers to seize and destroy unregistered trail bikes as riders cause havoc across his LGA.
Port Stephens councillor Giacomo Arnott will present a motion to be debated at the council's ordinary meeting on July 28, noting the "increasing numbers of unregistered trail bikes riding dangerously on council land and on public roads all across Port Stephens."
"This has been a long-standing issue in Raymond Terrace as well as other communities across Port Stephens," Cr Arnott said.
He said the trail bikes are forcing other members of the public away from shared spaces.
"There is a really good shared bike path that runs behind pretty much half of the suburb and people have been coming to council for years saying, 'This is rubbish, we cant use this track,' because of how dangerous it is," he said.
"There is a risk of coming around a bend and getting cleaned up."
Cr Arnott is calling for his council to write to state government representatives and officials seeking stronger police powers to combat the growing issue.
The councillor's motion highlights a gap in police enforcement powers.
"There is only so much they can do," he said.
"I met with a woman who had recorded photos of 200 unique bikes and submitted them to Crime Stoppers but there is nothing police can do with that intel if the bike is unregistrable."
Even when officers can identify a rider and the address where a bike is stored, they cannot confiscate or destroy the vehicle if it is not capable of being registered.
"When they connect this intel together and they aren't allowed to do anything, that means something is wrong, something is seriously broken with how they are able to manage community safety."
Cr Arnott's motion argues the bikes pose a particular danger on shared pathways, where riders can come into conflict with pedestrians, including parents with young children, and cyclists.
"Just around two years ago we had a young mother and her child walking in Riverside Park who were struck by a rider, it's absolutely insane," he said.
The council already prohibits motorbikes in its parks, reserves and pathways.
"It is not just a problem in Raymond Terrace with areas like Tanilba Bay, Karuah, Lemon Tree Passage and even Nelson Bay also seeing similar issues," Cr Arnott said.
"You can't just say, Llet's build them a place they can use them,' because how will they get there without trailers or the ability to register them?"
The councillor said the behaviour could be connected with further criminality as riders use the back pathways and streets to avoid detection from police and the attention of the public.
If supported by councillors, the motion would see general manager write to the Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington, the NSW Minister for Police, and the Attorney-General, seeking a review of the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 to examine whether police powers of seizure and destruction should be extended to unregistered vehicles used unlawfully on public land.
The motion frames the expansion of powers as both a deterrent to unregistered vehicles being used on public land, as well as a means of removing vehicles that are used on public land despite the threat of seizure and destruction.
Cr Arnott is also seeking council backing to lobby beyond Port Stephens.
The motion calls for the general manager to write to the president of Local Government NSW, asking for the proposal to be placed on the agenda of the next LGNSW conference.
A further request would see council write to the Police Association of NSW, seeking its support in pushing the state government for expanded powers, with the motion asserting that officers are "being prevented from taking action to address this kind of behaviour by the legislation limiting their powers."
The motion will go before councillors at the council chambers in Raymond Terrace on July 28.
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