UP to $60,000 in this year’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Council budget will go towards developing a mountain bike and BMX strategy on shire-owned land.
The strategy will aim to ensure that new and upgraded trails and jumps are in suitable locations and designed with community needs in mind.
The shire manages four bike sports areas on the peninsula: Dromana Pump Track, Hillview Reserve, Boundary Road, Red Hill Mountain Bike Skills Park, Red Hill Station Grounds, Harold Reid Reserve BMX track, Baxter, and Westpark Reserve BMX track, Hastings.
The shire is also deciding if any of the unauthorised – and illegal – bike jumps built in parks and reserves can be made safe and allowed to remain.
Construction of these impromptu bike jumps ruffled a few feathers among other parks’ users who saw the children’s efforts as vandalism. (“Boys plea to not write-off jumps” The News 26/10/20).
They began to appear after the closure of many outdoor sporting facilities, including skate parks and playgrounds, when youngsters were looking for opportunities to have fun and blow off steam within their five kilometre radius.
“While we appreciate the energy, creativity and enjoyment of those involved in creating bike jumps, the shire has also received many complaints from other park and bushland users whose enjoyment and safe use of these spaces have been affected,” infrastructure strategy and climate change executive manager Davey Smith said.
“Volunteer groups looking after bushland areas over many years have also seen impacts to surrounding fauna and flora.
“The shire has a responsibility to ensure all residents are safe and our environment is protected and is undertaking works to achieve this, including removal of bike jumps. Please be respectful of shire staff as they carry out these duties.”
The shire says engagement with residents and users is crucial for its mountain bike and BMX strategy to be viable.
“We need to consider community safety and the broad range of users and abilities, while also protecting the peninsula’s unique environment and ecological values,” Mr Smith said.
To provide input to the strategy, to keep up to date with developments, and be notified when the draft strategy opens for community consultation, go to mornpen.vic.gov.au/bikesports
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 1 December 2020
