'In the right way, in the right place': Shire defends bike jump removal

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River has responded to protests from parents and locals, dismayed that a series of bicycle jumps constructed by local children were removed by Shire officers on Monday.

“In record time the Shire has achieved a goal, it has crushed the hard work of young children in nature,” resident Sean Carter said.

“This will teach them that no creativity goes unpunished and let them know that the local government is the bad guy.”

Mr Carter was joined by hundreds of local commenters on a Facebook post showing the jumps being removed, calling for more freedom and appreciation for the kids’ efforts.

“The children were up early every morning before school, shovels in hand, and raced back there directly from school to catch up with mates outdoors and exercising,” he said.

Shire President Julia Meldrum said while it was positive to see kids out in fresh air, riding their bikes, building unauthorised tracks on Shire land posed serious challenges.

“We all want our kids to have fun outside, but when things aren’t built to standard by qualified people and things go wrong, people often look to the Shire to fund the damage that was caused,” Ms Meldrum said.

“Our role is to make sure the right things happen in the right way, in the right place.”

She said the Shire was responsible for what happens on its reserved, and while bike tracks “are a blast”, they could lead to injuries and potentially high insurance bills.

Resident Troy Coffey said the outcome was disappointing for local kids. “It’s absolutely unbelievable in my eyes that a little bit of free nature play in the back corner of Margaret River would be such a centre for attention,” he wrote.

Ms Meldrum pointed out the proximity of the Brookfield Mountain Bike Junior Skills Area, just 200 metres from where the home made jumps were removed.

“We realised that the local kids wanted a place to ride so we spent literally hundreds of hours working closely with kids and families to build epic tracks that are sustainable, safe and lots of fun,” Ms Meldrum continued.

The park includes a loop of gravel jumps and berms in the bush reserve off Andrews Way, and involved trail builders Magic Dirt Trailworx, who partnered with the Shire and local kids to facilitate dig days and workshops “to encourage respect for the environment as well as teach the sophisticated skills of trail building”.

More info on bike tracks in the Shire can be found at www.amrshire.wa.gov.au/environment-and-sustainability/native-plants-and-animals/illegal-bike-trails

Have your say

Do you support the construction of the jumps and other structures like this? How would you like to see these matters addressed? Let us know your thoughts: nicky.lefebvre@margaretrivermail.com.au