** UPDATE **
On 12 November 2019 Council resolved to purchase a portable pump track and conduct a 12 month rotating trial across four locations: Kensington Park Reserve, Newland Reserve, Miller Reserve and the Civic Centre.
The track will be part of a 12 month trial across four locations in the City the first location will be at the Civic Centre:
- Civic Centre (cnr Portrush Road and Greenhill Road) *29 Feb - 15 Jun*
- Newland Reserve, Erindale *15 Jun - 14 Sept*
- Miller Reserve, Linden Park *14 Sept - 30 Nov*
- Kensington Park Reserve, Kensington Park *30 Nov - 22 Feb 2021*
*look out on engage.burnside for updates*
For more information visit the #rideburnside portal
Council seeks your input on the possibility of creating a wheel park in our City.
What is a wheel park?
To be more inclusive of all youth, Council is exploring an opportunity for a wheel park. A wheel park is a purpose built recreational environment made for skateboards, scooters, rollerblades or bikes (usually BMX bikes). These recreational facilities encourage youth to be physically active, improve youth mental health and improves city vibrancy.
An Australian study* shows that people aged under 18 made up 78.2 per cent of users, while 11–15 year olds made up 48.3 per cent of users of wheel parks.
Why are we exploring this?
Seventeen per cent of the City of Burnside’s residents are aged 5-17 years old*. By 2026, the largest age group in the City is likely to be 15-19 year olds*.
Council conducts a yearly community survey and the results are fully representative of our community’s opinions. In the 2017 survey*, Council asked the community if services for youth were important. Seventy three per cent of our community believe that having services for youth is important.
Of this 73 per cent, 38 per cent (unprompted) said that these services should be in the form of a ‘wheel park’, and 18 per cent said that more recreation facilities for youth are needed in our City.
Following a petition to Council seeking a wheel park for Constable Hyde Memorial Garden, Council resolved to explore the need for a wheel park in Burnside, and to work with wheel park groups to explore suitable locations for a wheel park in the City.
Some benefits of wheel sports & wheel parks
Accessibility
- An affordable activity
- Open to any age, background and skill level
- Multiple sports - skateboard, scooter, BMX, rollerblades
- No set days or rules
City Vibrancy
- A positive impact on the local economy
- Increases patronage to local businesses
- Provides a public space for events
- Safe spaces for skating
Health and Wellbeing
- A positive impact on mental health
- Improves balance, coordination and flexibility
- Provides a physical activity alternative
- Combats rise in obesity
See below to read the Wheel park Myths and to find out where the best wheel park sites would be in our City. You will see the strengths of the four potential sites below.
For a wheel park to be successful, its location is of utmost importance. In addition, there are some other key requirements which include:
- Sufficient passive surveillance (ideally near arterial road)
- Access to drinking water and toilet facilities
- Accessible by public transport
- Adequate car parking
- Minimal impact on residents and existing site users
- Size of site (no less than 750 square metres for a District Level Facility)
- Provision of other facilities nearby (eg playground, courts, barbecue, seating).
Council considered 133 open space sites in the City and measured each against the above criteria for their potential suitability to support a wheel park.
Council also considered topography, existing infrastructure, flood zones, demographics, and the family-friendliness of the locations to identify four potential sites as the best locations, should a wheel park proceed. To read more about these sites, please see below.
Council is committed to listening to all relevant stakeholders as we embark on this project. We will be engaging with a wide range of individuals across our community, including residents, schools, the City of Burnside Youth Committee, and the skating community.
Come along and talk to council representatives and wheel park experts; free barbecue at all information sessions, as well as a come-and-try pump track at the Mellor Reserve and Kensington Gardens Reserve sessions.
Information Session Times are listed (above right) of screen.
Have Your Say by 5 pm Friday 14 June 2019.
