The council this week advised residents that activities such as riding bikes, building jumps and tying ropes to trees was no longer allowed on Bears Hill Reserve, bordering Warwick Road.

It said these and other unauthorised activities caused damage to native vegetation and posed a safety risk to residents.

But parents living in the area said children had been playing at the site for years without any major dramas.

Mother of three Ann Hickey suggested a ban should be imposed on activities such as camping and lighting fires.

But she said stopping children from riding bikes and using rope to swing from a tree was going too far.

“I personally think there needs to be a compromise, so some of the activities the kids are doing need to stop,” Ms Hickey said.

“But in terms of them riding their bikes and being kids playing on a hill in their neighbourhood ... I just don’t get it.

“I just can’t get my head around what the problem is.”

Fellow resident Mario Bergic also opposed the ban despite having no young children of his own.

“It’s the best exercise they can have,” he said.

“Riding their bikes up and down, it keeps them fit, it keeps them off the computers and they get an interest in the outdoors.”

Mother of two Debbie Brown said the council had no right to stop children from playing in the reserve because it was privately owned.

But the council said it had been appointed caretaker of the land and most of the activities were taking place on public property surrounding it.

A council bulldozer yesterday became bogged as it attempted to level out a bike jump on the site.

Mayor Mark Byatt, however, last September acknowledged the children were playing mostly on private land over which the council had no jurisdiction.

It came after the council attempted to apply a similar ban back then.

An information session will be held at the Belgrade Avenue Community Centre next Tuesday from 5pm.