B.M.X. tracks for Waimairi

Press, 31 March 1981, Page 6

B.M.X. tracks for Waimairi

Four neighbourhood crosscountry bicycle racing (8.M.X.) tracks will be constructed in Waimairi County in the next few weeks. A meeting of the county works and traffic committee decided last evening to have council staff shift spoil in Crosbie Park, Flay Park, Craighead Park and Clare Park for the tracks. . B.M.X. is the push-bike version of motor-cross and is an increasingly popular competitive sport for children.

“The numbers of B.M.X. bikes sold has increased four-fold in the last three months and if control of existing parks is to be maintained they must have somewhere to go,” said Mr J. P. Nind, reserves superintendent, in his report to the committee.

Council staff were concerned about damage to parks as well as physical, danger to people from the B.M.X. cyclists, especially in places such as Bishopdale Park, he said. The county engineer (Mr A. J. W. Lamb) said the bikes could give uneven parkland a terrible hammering and he was most concerned to see that something w’as done to

prevent further damage to parks during the winter'. The committee decided to give the neighbourhood B.M.X. tracks urgency so that approval would not have to wait for the council’s estimates and work could begin before winter set in. Mr Lamb said the maximum cost of each track would be $5OO and that would only be if the tracks had to .be fenced. Most of the tracks would not cost more than $lOO. he said. “All we have to do is shift the soil to the right place. The kids will soon make the tracks,’’ - said Mr Lamb. Healing Industries had discussed establishing a BM.X. competition track and were willing to help build a suitable site, Mr 1 Nind said in his report. B.M.X. competition tracks had been established in all main centres except Christchurch. The suggested site would be on one hectare of land in the proposed recreation area of Styx Basin and the cost would be about $3OOO. The committee approved the establishment of a competition track subject to Healing Industries providin'" finance.