Council decides on tenders for pump track

BALLINA Council will explore options for a pump track at Kingsford Smith Park, but the size and features of the facility will depend on the cost.

Councillors were asked at the October meeting to decide whether to accept tenders for the design and construction of the facility.

The NSW Government gave the council $734,000 in funding from the Stronger Country Communities Fund for a new pump track in 2023.

The project is part of the $1.6 million allocated for local sports fields in the Council’s 2024/25 budget.

Councillors received a number of tenders for the project, but they were declined because they exceeded the allocated budget.

General manager Paul Hickey said the Council understood before going to tender that the funding may not cover the costs of the facility.

But he said further consultation with contractors could provide options.

“You could get a basic pump track for that but then there were other embellishments that we could consider,” Mr Hickey said.

“We could potentially spend $1.7 million here and have a state-of-the-art pump track.

“So councillors need to make the decision what sort of pump track and outcomes you want to deliver for the community, and the kind of money you need to allocate to it.”

The Council will not call for new submissions. Instead, Mr Hickey will negotiate with contractors to come up with three or four options and their costs to present to councillors at a future meeting.

The facility will be built on a southwestern portion of the Kingsford Smith Reserve, near the netball courts.

A pump track is a purpose-built track for cycling that has features designed to be ridden completely by riders “pumping” rather than pedalling.

Mr Hickey will also negotiate with contractors who tendered for work to improve Saunders Oval Sports Field after councillors elected to decline the submitted tenders “as the prices tendered exceed the allocated budget for the works”.