[talk-au] Deletion of informal paths by NSW NPWS

[Mark Pulley]

I know this has been discussed on the list before, but the NSW NPWS has deleted some informal paths at Apsley Falls (Oxley Wild Rivers National Park).

These were deleted in 2022 by a NPWS employee, and after discussion were reverted. I re-surveyed them later that year.
These paths have been recently deleted again, initially edited by a different NPWS employee. (Three different change sets, summarised below.)

I had thought the consensus last time was to leave the paths in, tagged as informal=yes (unless the path has been formally closed, in which case access=no can be used). Is this still the case? Also, do we need to add a policy to the wiki for similar situations?

Summary of the edits to this area:
31/12/08 macAlba https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/694496
ways initially added by survey

3/10/18 mrpulley https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/63140199
I split ways (separating the official path from the unofficial path). I don't see the informal paths at that survey (but I hadn't been looking for them)

24/1/22 Guy Hodgson https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/116519029
(see also https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/116520175 - similar situation in Macquarie Pass National Park)
Ways deleted (Guy is employee of NPWS, tasked by NPWS ranger to delete the ways)

25/1/22 aharvey https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/116568934
Reversion of previous changeset following discussion

18/4/22 mrpulley https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/119854924
I visit and resurvey the paths. One path difficult to find (way 29415025), others are visible

26/6/23 Stephen Stenberg https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/137773356
(Stephen is employee of NPWS, tasked by NPWS staff to remove the ways)
Addition of access = no
foot=yes changed to foot=no
informal=yes changed to informal=no (this tag change is incorrect)
note=These tracks no longer exist. Edit from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Services.

1/9/23 Stephen Stenberg https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/140660737
Addition of width=0
note=These tracks no longer exist. Based on NSW Spatial Data.
source=survey;local knowledge;NSW Spatial Services

18/9/23 Firefishy https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/141445146
Ways are deleted. (Not sure how Firefishy became involved - he's part of the OpenStreetMap Sysadmin team)

Mark P.

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