Past presidents of the Albury-Wodonga Orienteering Club Leigh Privett and Rob Simmons and members Liz Hood and Tony Perrott met on the hill yesterday and explained why they think charging people on Crown land is a bad idea.

“We would object to a fee-for-use as we see the Black Range as an asset for use,’’ they said.

“On the one hand the government wants people to exercise more, and on the other it discourages this by actions such as this.’’

Mr Privett and Mr Simmons said they each used Nail Can Hill about three times a week to run, walk or cycle.

They claimed that Crown Lands spent little on the reserve except to grade fire access tracks, but the Albury-Wodonga Mountain Bikers club spent many hours maintaining the tracks its members used.

“We support the mountain bikers,’’ Mr Privett said.

Consultant GHD makes the payment proposal in a draft management report for the almost 1900 hectares of the Albury Crown reserve and environmental lands.

While not directly opposing fees, the bikers’ club says its substantial voluntary work should be counted as their members’ contribution.

Mr Privett has regularly maintained most of the maps of tracks on the ranges and the orienteerers make them available to other users such as walkers and those interested in flora and fauna.

The club organises the popular Nail Can Hill run every year.

Mr Simmons said the club had not been asked to comment on the report but after reading about it in The Border Mail they would formally oppose the fees concept.