Before kids made their own bike jumps, Deakin Reserve had just one swing set. Photo: Kellie O’Brien.
Creation of a dedicated BMX facility in Oak Flats is being explored by Shellharbour City Council after children in the area took matters into their own hands by constructing an informal bike track at Deakin Reserve.
During a recent council meeting, councillors unanimously supported a mayoral minute to investigate establishing a purpose-built bike track in either Deakin Reserve and/or Kingston Reserve.
It’s to be added to the Recreational Biking Facilities Location Feasibility Study, already being undertaken to establish bike track sites across the city.
While Mayor Chris Homer wasn’t at the meeting, Acting Mayor Kellie Marsh said the initiative came after a request from Oak Flats children and their parents who had independently built jumps and a makeshift dirt track at Deakin Reserve.
Councillor Moira Hamilton said she had no problem with Deakin Reserve being a BMX track, but asked council officers to consider a full investigation of where would be most appropriate, including the Kingston precinct.
Councillor John Davey praised the children’s initiative, noting the lack of recreational facilities in the area.
“There is now an informal bike track with jumps within Deakin Reserve,” Cr Davey said.
“This has been in situ for approximately six to eight weeks, having been an initiative from local children and, I believe, in response to a lack of actual play facilities in the area.
“There’s no shared pathway from Koona Bay all the way to Central Park, and the two sets of playgrounds or swings in the vicinity at Kingston Street and Deakin can best be described as sad.
“So credit to the children – and with some parental support – for showing initiative, abandoning iPads and iPhones and heading outdoors for healthy engineering, teamwork and construction fun.
“I’ve met these children. They’re smart, polite, funny and obviously creative.”
He didn’t know if Deacon or Kingston was the ideal location, but said there was only 700 metres difference between the two.
“It’s about time we were able to offer such a facility,” he said.
“I’d like to thank the parents for encouraging and supporting their children, having a go, not reining them in and doing this.
“And finally, I’d like to thank the children for showing initiative and making us, the council and the councillors, sit up and take notice.”
Cr Rob Petreski said he was in favour of the proposal, but didn’t believe specifying a location was wise, rather leaving it to council officers to investigate and survey the community.
“The reason I say that is because with the best of intentions, sometimes a good execution and a well laid out plan may go awry,” he said.
“If we put a bike track right next to someone’s house, are we making a rod for our own back?”
He said while he was happy for the investigation, he would also like to see it citywide.
“I know around Flinders, Shell Cove, Shellharbour and the city centre there are little bike tracks popping up all over the place with little ramps and little dirt jumps,” he said.
“Obviously, there’s a need throughout our city and I think we need to look at this from a citywide approach.”
Cr Mitch Ellis said he supported it due to the need to provide “more safe, structured environments for young kids to ride, develop skills and a place to socialise”.
“I think it reduces risk-taking and antisocial behaviour by offering a positive outlet for kids in a purpose-built facility,” he said.
“It potentially lessens the unsafe and unauthorised riding of kids’ bikes in carparks, roads and public areas.
“If we want kids to be outdoors more, then we need more of these things.”
Cr Marsh added the motion wasn’t about pre-empting jumps being built at the back of people’s homes, but was responding to a request by children and parents.
“We can have strategic planning, but we need to listen to kids, because they’ll go where they feel the right place to play is,” she said.
“If we’re going to spend ratepayer money on infrastructure, we need to make sure it’s something the children want, and something and somewhere they’re happy to utilise.”
The mayoral minute said it would look to design and construct a bike track “to consider and protect the surrounding environment”.
Council will now work with the community and conduct studies using existing resources to determine the most appropriate location and develop a bike track concept.
