Overwhelming community support for upgrades to the popular BMX facilities at Malabar Park in Bibra Lake has prompted a draft concept plan that is now open for public comment.
Malabar Park is the home of Cockburn BMX Club but the facility is also available for use by the wider community.
An ‘open house public comment session’ will be held at the Malabar BMX Track on Tuesday, 10 December 4pm to 6pm to view the plans, chat to the project team, and enjoy a free sausage sizzle and drink while supplies last.
Take a short online survey and view the draft concept plan
here.
BMX club chairperson Leighton Pratt said the proposed changes were not only good for the 130-member club but for the State.
“It will get more people into BMX, it will improve our numbers and be a really cool, safe place to go and have fun on your bike,” Mr Pratt said.
Key features of the draft concept plan include a new re-orientated track meeting Union Cyclist Internationale standards; a new 5-metre start ramp; floodlighting; a new multipurpose community building; formalised car parking; and a redeveloped park area including play elements and pump track.
A total of $3.2m was listed for the project in the City’s Community, Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan 2018-2033 (CSRFP) but this was dependent on receiving funding from the State Government’s Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund Annual and Forward Grants Program. Unfortunately, the external funding submission was unsuccessful.
The City, as part of its municipal funding contribution, allocated $2.45m and will proceed with this as the project budget while seeking other external funding opportunities.
“Should the overall cost of the redevelopment be more than the $2.45m budgeted, the City would need to consider priorities and/or adopt a staged approach, subject to future budget deliberations,” Mayor Logan Howlett said.
“It would be a coup for Cockburn and the State if we could build on the City’s contribution to add external funding to this valuable project.”
Friends of Community Inc was also involved in the concept design process and the facility will be designed with the not-for-profit organisation’s future occupation in mind.
During development of the City’s CSRFP, 73 of the 309 comments directly related to upgrading facilities at Malabar Park.
Written submissions can be
emailed. These may form part of a published Council Agenda including the submitter’s name and address, so submitters should clearly state if they want their details to be kept confidential.
Once the concept plan is finalised, funding will be sought and detailed designs drawn up ahead of construction.