Bike park’s lease extended for six months

USERS of the Anglesea Bike Park will keep riding there for at least the next six months, with Alcoa announcing it would extend the lease until the end of the year.

In a community update emailed out last Thursday, Alcoa said it was “proud of its long history of support” for the bike park but that the facility should still be relocated from the Alcoa-owned site to public land.

However, the company will support a “smooth transition” in the meantime.

The previous lease on the land expired at the end of June and some of the bike park’s supporters feared it would be closed immediately, leading to the Surf Coast Shire requesting earlier this year that the lease on the land be continued on a month-by-month basis until the rezoning process was resolved, and also offering to buy the land for $500,000 should Alcoa wish to proceed.

Alcoa’s community update notes that in 2006, Alcoa supported the establishment of the bike park on one hectare of Alcoa freehold land following the closure of the local BMX track.

“This included funding the design and construction of the mountain cross 4-X track. Since then, Alcoa has leased the land to the Surf Coast Shire, at no cost, to host the bike park.

“Alcoa believes it makes sense that a community facility like the bike park be located on public property to provide increased long-term security for the community, and to provide the opportunity for future improvement and expansion.

“In line with Alcoa’s public commitment to support a smooth transition for the Anglesea Bike Park, Alcoa has extended the lease for the park for six months until December 31, 2018. The extension will allow time for all parties to ensure that all long-term options for the bike park, inclusive of reviewing the Anglesea Futures Land Use Plan when released by the Victorian Government, have been identified and can be fully considered.”