A stolen cage full of rubbish is the latest object to be illegally left in the forest after thieves stole it in the early hours of Sunday morning, drove to the forest, ditched the cage, and made off with the trailer it was mounted on. 

Club members are used to arriving for rides only to find tracks and roads strewn with rubbish, and require working bees during the year to clean up the rubbish and maintain the forest’s tracks. 

Club member Leo Presslaber discovered the cage of rubbish on Sunday morning, and said he personally comes across dumps of rubbish “five or six times a year”.

“It’s frustrating and a concern,” Mr Presslaber said.

He has found several burnt-out cars as well as broken and used needles and glass in the past, which is isn’t just dangerous to riders, but also damaging for the environment, with glass a fire hazard. 

The kick in the teeth for Mr Presslaber and the club is the entry to the forest via Bulgas Road is only a few hundred metres from the tip, with the forest itself further from Orange than the legal dumping point.

“It’s especially frustrating that people have to drive past the tip to get to the forest. Even though there’s a small fee with the tip it’s easier to take it there than dump it,” Mr Presslaber said. 

“We report it and try and look through it to find receipts or anything to identify who dumps it, and the Environmental Protection Authority investigate.”

Orange Mountain Bike Club president Jack Rahilly issued a warning to those thinking of dumping rubbish.

“If you dump in Kinross you will be tracked down, so the choice is simple, pay the $45 tip fee or be fined $7500,” he said. 

Anyone with information is urged to contact the EPA or Central West Police District.