VOTE ON BIKE PARK
Future of Anglesea asset on Surf Coast Shire agenda
THE Surf Coast Shire looks likely to fight for the Anglesea Bike Park to remain in its current location.
Councillors will vote tomorrow night on whether to bargain for the Alcoa-owned land or seek the park’s relocation.
Alcoa’s release of the Freehold Draft Concept Masterplan earlier this year sparked community outrage with the proposal for 13 hectares of Alcoa-owned land to be rezoned and developed with residential and tourism accommodation. The bike path is located within this development zone and current lease agreements are set to expire June 30.
Anglesea has rallied around its beloved bike park since the release of the master plan, with a petition to keep the park at its current location receiving over 5500 signatures.
While an alternate location for the bike path was identified along Camp Rd in a council-commissioned report, relocation to a new site would cost up to $1.5 million (not including land costs) and would not provide a “mountain bike experience which matches or ex- ceeds the current facility”.
“Considering the investigation findings and the complex factors in play, officers recommend that council seek to work with Alcoa to secure a sustainable future for the Anglesea Bike Park at the current location,” a Surf Coast Shire officer report reads.
Committee president Mike Bodsworth said he was happy the council would likely stand with the community in campaigning to see the bike path saved.
“We feel really good about that (the recommendations) and we congratulate them on coming to that position,” he said. “We have a facility estimated to be worth over $500,000 and building a new one (at the alternate site) at the cost of up to $1.5 million, you’re potentially down $2 million.
“You’re looking to waste $2 million for a path at an inferior site, that’s a terrible deal.”
The report recommends the Surf Coast Shire seeks a month-by-month extension of the bike path’s current lease and “offers to purchase the land associated with the current bike park and its access for $500,000”, should Alcoa wish to finalise the future of the bike path. Opening in 2006, the Anglesea Bike Path was Vic- toria’s first professionally designed mountain cross track. The Anglesea Bike Path Committee of Management estimated volunteers have dedicated over 1200 hours of work towards its maintenance and development.
“The bike path has some kind of magic that one of us anticipated in the beginning,” Mr Bodsworth said. “We will campaign as long and as hard as we have to, to try to keep the bike path at the current site, but if that cannot happen we will be thankful to have had the support from the Surf Coast Council and State Government.”