PORT Macquarie soon could have its own suburban mountain-biking track. A plan is in place to construct the new facility at Wayne Richards Park in Koala St. The park, which already has facilities including an oval, changing rooms and a car park, has been selected as the best location for the track. School teacher and mountain biking world champion Jason English said the park’s makeover would increase the profile of mountain biking in Port Macquarie. “It’s going to attract a whole lot more people to mountain biking,” the 29-year-old said. “Right now, if you want to get out for a race, you’re looking at travelling 20km out of town to Telegraph Point. “So, to have something closer in town is going to be a whole lot more convenient.” Mr English is a member of mountain-biking club Hastings Valley Mountain Bike Riders. The club, which holds regular races at the Telegraph Point tracks, has been the driving force behind the development at Wayne Richards Park. It submitted its proposal to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council last year. That proposal includes a plan to regenerate the scrubland that surrounds the park. “Looking at it now, it’s just a grey dust bowl, so hopefully some of the trees grow up through there,” Mr English said. The mountain-biking club’s proposal also includes tracks for novice and experienced riders. The council’s director of infrastructure services Jeffery Sharp said his organisation was enthused about the project. “The local mountain-bike association have been discussing with us for some time the opportunity at this site to develop a track, and we’re very keen with what they’ve put forward,” Mr Sharp said. He said the proposal would be put to the council in February, at its next meeting. “I anticipate from there it will go on public exhibition for a little while,” he said. The planned track adds a new dimension to Wayne Richards Park, which rapidly is becoming the “premier site” in Port Macquarie, Mr Sharp said. “[It’s] a different sort of pursuit that really makes very good use of the site,” he said. “At Telegraph Point, parents are taking their children out there, but this being in the middle of town it really is seen as a particular opportunity . . . to get kids involved in sport.” Mr Sharp also said the cost of construction for the track was likely to be minimal. The mountain-biking club has volunteered to undertake much of the work. “And . . . more significantly for us would be the potential to rehabilitate that site,” Mr Sharp said. A process of “community consultation” about the track is expected to begin shortly.
Conquering ‘the rock’: Jason English tries one of the more difficult features of the proposed mountain biking track at Wayne Richards Park. Pic:NIGEL McNEIL
PORT Macquarie soon could have its own suburban mountain-biking track.
A plan is in place to construct the new facility at Wayne Richards Park in Koala St.
The park, which already has facilities including an oval, changing rooms and a car park, has been selected as the best location for the track.
School teacher and mountain biking world champion Jason English said the park’s makeover would increase the profile of mountain biking in Port Macquarie.
“It’s going to attract a whole lot more people to mountain biking,” the 29-year-old said.
“Right now, if you want to get out for a race, you’re looking at travelling 20km out of town to Telegraph Point.
“So, to have something closer in town is going to be a whole lot more convenient.”
Mr English is a member of mountain-biking club Hastings Valley Mountain Bike Riders.
The club, which holds regular races at the Telegraph Point tracks, has been the driving force behind the development at Wayne Richards Park.
It submitted its proposal to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council last year.
That proposal includes a plan to regenerate the scrubland that surrounds the park.
“Looking at it now, it’s just a grey dust bowl, so hopefully some of the trees grow up through there,” Mr English said.
The mountain-biking club’s proposal also includes tracks for novice and experienced riders.
The council’s director of infrastructure services Jeffery Sharp said his organisation was enthused about the project.
“The local mountain-bike association have been discussing with us for some time the opportunity at this site to develop a track, and we’re very keen with what they’ve put forward,” Mr Sharp said.
He said the proposal would be put to the council in February, at its next meeting.
“I anticipate from there it will go on public exhibition for a little while,” he said.
The planned track adds a new dimension to Wayne Richards Park, which rapidly is becoming the “premier site” in Port Macquarie, Mr Sharp said.
“[It’s] a different sort of pursuit that really makes very good use of the site,” he said.
“At Telegraph Point, parents are taking their children out there, but this being in the middle of town it really is seen as a particular opportunity . . . to get kids involved in sport.”
Mr Sharp also said the cost of construction for the track was likely to be minimal.
The mountain-biking club has volunteered to undertake much of the work.
“And . . . more significantly for us would be the potential to rehabilitate that site,” Mr Sharp said.
A process of “community consultation” about the track is expected to begin shortly.
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