A prestigious golf course in an affluent Sydney suburb has been overrun with e-bikes, with dozens of riders filmed driving over greens and doing jumps off mounds. The incident prompted a call to police, though the group had left the scene before officers could arrive.
More than 30 riders swarmed the Long Reef Golf Club, in Collaroy, just after 12pm on Friday. The vision was posted by Cromer Golf Club, who berated the group about the potential damage caused to the grass.
“I wonder if any of these fools understand the cost of replacing greens,” the business wrote.
Long Reef Golf Club told Yahoo News the course suffered some damaged by the riders.
The video immediately sparked debate online, with some arguing it’s just a bit of “old school fun”.
“Kids can’t win,” one commenter wrote. “Forever told to get off the screens and start riding their bikes… and now they are out having some old school fun and everyone loses their minds and wants to lock them up inside.”
Others argued they were damaging someone’s business, saying the parents should be at fault.
‘Disrespectful’ behaviour after string of e-bike deaths
Independent Member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby said she was “shocked” to see the “irresponsible” actions of the riders.
“It is unacceptable to trespass, and this behaviour was inconsiderate and disrespectful to both the public and public property,” she said in a statement.
She added that while the video may seem like “harmless fun”, on the same day as it was being circulated online, a 14-year-old was injured in an e-bike accident at Newport.
It’s the latest in a string of incidents involving the often illegally modified machines. A large group of teenage e-bike riders have been filmed previously riding through Sydney’s Northern Beaches allegedly disrupting traffic.
On New Year’s Eve, a 15-year-old boy died after his e-bike hit a pole in Tasmania’s northwest.
In December, 14-year-old Ryley Ziebell was killed when his e-bike collided with a 4WD 300 metres from his home in Melbourne.
In September, a 17-year-old was killed when his e-bike was struck by a car on the Gold Coast.
An e-scooter seen above on a Long Reef golf green was among the swarm of e-bikes riding across the course. Source: Cromer Golf Club
Parents urged to take responsibility: expert
While e-bikes are usually safe and legal, it’s the illegally modified versions that have become a point of frustration for drivers and pedestrians alike.
These modifications pose a “real issue” and mar the reputation of electronic bikes, Peter McLean, CEO of Bicycle NSW, previous told Yahoo News.
“Some of them do go extremely fast. Some of them are geared to do 60, 70, 80 and even, in some cases, over 100 km/h,” he said.
“With something that’s basically very little design, quality construction or quality materials, it’s terrifying to be honest.”
McLean said he unfortunately wasn’t surprised by the surging death toll involving young people and e-bikes.
“It seems like there’s more and more cases of kids and teenagers jumping on these devices, without full awareness or ability and skills to actually be able to ride them safely. And that’s very, very important.
“If we don’t do something about it, it will undoubtedly get worse.”
He said all three levels of government have a role to play in improving education and regulations around e-bike safety.
“Parents need to be taking responsibility too,” he added.
Yahoo News has contacted Long Reef Golf Course for further comment.
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