Design works progress on district ride centre

A COMMUNITY reference group has provided feedback to progress designs on the Ocean Grove District Ride Centre in Kingston Park.

The group has carried out preliminary detailed work on the proposed mountain bike facility and addressed many issues and questions regarding its design.

These include size and space of the facility, course design, safe pedestrian and cycling connections, traffic and car parking, toilets, amenity and gender impacts.

Kingston Park was selected as an appropriate location for the new facility during community consultation in July and August 2022.

More than 88 per cent of the 351 respondents were supportive of the centre being located in Kingston Park.

It will take up half of the large open grassed area within Kingston Park and be designed for all skill levels, all ages and all abilities.

Mayor Trent Sullivan said plans for the facility followed the creation of a high number of unsafe bike jumps during the pandemic.

“The majority of makeshift jumps reported to the city during that period were in Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads, so there is clearly a high local demand for this type of activity,” he said.

“With other dedicated bike facilities in Newtown and the You Yangs, it also makes strategic sense to provide a district-level centre on the Bellarine.”

Bellarine Ward councillor Jim Mason said the reference group had delivered some great feedback to council.

“The community has also told us that cycling and pedestrian connections are essential to help people travel to and from Kingston Park safely,” he said.

“We want to encourage people to be active to and from the ride centre, so improving the surrounding path network is also a key part of catering to riders in the area.”

Construction is slated to cost $2.6 million.

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