News

Dirty Trail Dozer Detained for Decontamination

Published Date

Written by Nicolas Bowman

It’s true: Australian customs do not like bringing in big dirty tools into our fair land. Sure we have to protect the lucky country, that’s understood and now it’s clear of customs, about to be loaded on a truck and sent down to Adelaide for the first of many trail projects in Oz.

This big dirty tool, is a purpose built trail dozer; a Sutter 500 and has been “loaned” from Sutter Equipment. Tony Boone, IMBA’s International Specialist in conjunction with TrailScapes and IMBA Australia have managed to work through the challenges to import the 4 tonne trail building monster with the hope that it can provide new cost effective ways of getting trails on the ground. After an advert on Rotoburn earlier in the year, there has been a fair amount of interest so the machine is booked up for the rest of the year in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Unfortunately due to the import complications and longer than expected shipping times, the dozer is 6 weeks behind schedule so Tony Boone will be charging ahead on shovel ready projects all the way to Christmas so we can get some results for the nominated projects.

Thanks to Sutter and TrailScapes for making in happen.

All going well you will be able to check out these new dozer built trails in 2012 at:

-          Craigburn Farm, Adelaide a brand new national parks project of 15km of sweet single track

-          Lysterfield Melbourne for some trail re-routes and upgrades

-          Lithgow, NSW for some trail upgrades organised by the Central Tablelands MTB Club.

If you think you have project that is ready to roll where the dozer maybe of some assistance in 2012, then let us know. Basic costs are $6500 per month to lease the machine, plus transport costs to your location. Operator costs are on top of that but you may have a local who has the skills.