Brisbane trail bike riders to get new home
01 December, 2009
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and Premier Anna Bligh today announced a major trail bike park would be built south west of Brisbane as part of a plan to stop illegal riding in the city’s bushland suburbs.
Cr Newman said the plan to establish South East Queensland’s first dedicated trail bike facility was a joint venture between the State Government and the SEQ Council of Mayors.
Cr Newman, the Council of Mayors chairman, said the State Government would set aside 745ha of land worth $1.5 million at Wyaralong, about 25km west of Beaudesert, for the facility and would provide $1 million in funding to get it off the ground.
He said trail bike riding was becoming an increasingly popular sport across Brisbane with some 230,000 people now taking part in the activity across South East Queensland.
“Illegal trail bike riding has long been a blight on some of Brisbane’s pristine bushland areas, and has caused major headaches not only for the council and police but residents too,” he said.
“While most people do the right thing and ride only in designated areas, others have been venturing on to private or council-owned land and even residential streets.
“Council has been working with the State Government and other councils, through the SEQ Council of Mayors, over the past year to find areas where trail bikers can ride safely and without doing damage to the environment or being a nuisance to residents.
“This site at Wyaralong has ideal terrain for trail bike riding and is some distance from built-up areas so noise or dust won’t be an issue.
“It’s ideally positioned within easy reach of trail bike riders not only from Brisbane but across South East Queensland.”
A master plan for the project, which is expected to cost a total of $4 million, would now be drawn up, with construction due to get underway in the middle of next year.
The first stage of the project will involve the construction of basic camping facilities, 30km of trails, signage, a natural terrain motocross course, parking area and toilets.
A second stage could include the addition of power and showers to camping areas, a specialist motocross track (with race tower, spectator area and starting gates), additional trails, signage, and a kiosk/café.
Cr Newman said Council had already contributed $55,000 to preliminary planning and investigations into identifying a site for a regional trail bike park, and would now await the outcome of a Council of Mayors SEQ meeting on Friday to ascertain what further financial input was required.
