Makeshift bike tracks like those at Deakin Reserve will no longer be needed, with Kingston Street Park being chosen as a priority location for a new bike facility. Photo: Kellie O’Brien.
Kingston Street Park in Oak Flats has been named top priority for a dedicated recreational bike track to address limited bike riding infrastructure in Shellharbour.
Shellharbour City Council endorsed the recommendation from the Shellharbour Recreational Biking Facilities Location Feasibility Study for potential locations for biking projects at its most recent meeting.
Councillor Kellie Marsh then moved to add to the motion to next prioritise, in order, Pioneer Park in Shellharbour Village and Con O’Keefe Oval in Albion Park for pump tracks, depending upon funding being determined.
Councillor John Davey said the study followed extensive community consultation and detailed evaluation, which scored Balarang Reserve in Oak Flats as the most suitable location, with Kingston Street Park second.
“Balarang is not suitable for consideration at this time, given it sits within the study area for Shellharbor City masterplan,” he said.
“However, Balarang is not eliminated for future consideration and remains viable.”
At the previous council meeting, Deakin Reserve in Oak Flats was highlighted as a potential location to include in the study and measure against Kingston Street Park.
Cr Davey said due to the significant environmental and cultural considerations at Deakin Reserve, Kingston Street was assessed as more appropriate and a higher priority.
“I acknowledge those families from the Deakin Reserve area who have generated accelerated interest in a bike facility and prefer Deakin as the prime location,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for this, we would unlikely be having this debate at this time.”
However, he said Kingston was only 700 metres from Deacon Reserve.
“We are overdue for something of this significance to be planned and integrated into a revitalised Kingston precinct for our youth,” he said.
‘No doubt, once built, it will be enjoyed by young people from surrounding suburbs and across the city, given Kingston’s central location and being home to the Oak Flats Pool and other amenities.”
Cr Marsh acknowledged former councillor Jackie Graf’s long-term advocacy for bike facilities in Shellharbour.
“Originally when this was raised, it was actually the communities of Shellharbour, Flinders and Shell Cove that were pushing the hardest for a facility,” she said.
“They have been waiting the longest for it, so I feel it’s a no-brainer for us to put Pioneer Park there.”
Participants in the Shellharbour skateboard community engagement. Photo: Shellharbour City Council.
Cr Marsh said the highly visible park was the gateway to Shellharbour Village and Shell Cove, easily accessible for Flinders’ young people and would be co-located with the skate park which already had toilets and bubblers.
“Surrounding Con O’Keefe Oval, the youth of Albion Park have been building their own jumps for many, many years,” she said.
“Those kids have been telling us where they want it and where the need is.
“It fits in quite well with the masterplan for Con O’Keefe Oval where we will have some skate furniture.”
She supported Kingston Street as the priority, due to community passion, being a short distance to the Oak Flats town centre and the ability to incorporate it within the Kingston Street Oak Flats master planning project.
Cr Craig Ridding said as a Kingston Street resident, he saw many kids ride up and down the road to the pool.
“There is a makeshift road at the end of Kingston Street where kids ride while mum and dad are walking the dog in the dog park,” he said. “This is long overdue.”
Cr Rob Petreski said Oak Flats had the Keith Bond Oval and football club, Geoff Shaw Oval and cricket club, Oak Flats Olympic Pool and swim club, Oak Flats tennis courts and tennis club as well as the dog park.
“It’s a real recreation precinct,” he said.
“One thing I think will be a key driver in all of this is redirecting some of that behaviour that we’d like to get away from the shops, cafes and streets and onto things like pump tracks and bike parks.”
He said one of the most common complaints about e-bikes was them being ridden through pedestrian areas, with bike tracks giving young people a place to expend energy.
Cr Moira Hamilton said she brought it up with council officers 18 months ago and was happy to see it coming to fruition.
Council will now prioritise planning for Kingston Street Precinct as part of its master planning project and future capital works planning, along with investigating funding opportunities for Pioneer Park and Con O’Keefe Oval facilities.
