Appeal against BMX track

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 9

Appeal against BMX track

Noise destroying a quality of life was the basis of an appeal against a new BMX track heard by the Planning Tribunal in Christchurch yesterday. The tribunal heard that the Waimairi District Court had approved a plan of the Bishopdale BMX Club to build a new track in the council’s old shingle pit between Waimakariri Road and Johns Road. The council had set conditions about access, fire warnings, landscaping, and the frequency of meetings which the club had agreed to comply with. The council had granted the club a five-year lease which had the right of another five years renewal.

One of the 11 residents objecting, Mrs Jeanette McDonald, said the houses

along Waimakariri Road had a “country village atmosphere”, and they were concerned that the BMX track would destroy this. Previous experience of a BMX meeting at Kaiapoi had left her “staggered by the noise coming from the screaming of excited children and noise from loudhailers.”

The residents were also worried that the track would mean more traffic along Waimakiriri Road, which had been a “backwater” since Johns Road was made the main road.

The club’s secretary, Mrs Rose Poukaa, said the council had set a condition about traffic to the new track. All the traffic had to approach the track from Sawyers Arms Road, so that vehicles would not go along Waima-

kariri Road. The loudspeakers would point away from the residents towards the track and there were plans to baffle the speakers to cut noise further, she said. The loudspeakers would be used only at Sunday day meetings which were held once every six weeks and at the three twilight meetings which were held at long week-ends during the club’s six-month summer season. They would not be used at the club’s practices on Tuesdays, Mrs Poukaa said. The club wanted a new track because its existing one in Morrison Avenue was not up to international BMX standards, and did not have enough car-parking, she said. Apart from car-park-ing problems the club had not had any complaint from

residents at the old track. A council engineer, Mr Peter Atkinson, said the proposed site would give about 100 car-parks. At certain times of the year the track might demand about double that, but arrangements could be made with the council to use other parts of the quarry. A planner engaged by the residents, Mr David Collins, said in evidence that he felt the track should be zoned elsewhere in the county. An area of land at McLeans Island would be better in terms of zoning, as the residents’ land was zoned for rural land-use and he felt the B.M.X. track would detract from the land’s amenities.

Once the track was established the residents might also have difficulty having

it shifted at the end of the 10-year lease period, Mr Collins said.

Judge Bathgate said he wanted to see a condition about the decibel level from the loudspeakers investigated. He said that the club should arrange a test of the equipment and that the council should set a maximum noise level.

The tribunal, which comprised Judge Bathgate, Mrs Nedra Johnson, and Mr Roy McLennan, reserved decision for one month so that noise-level tests could be made.

Ms D. E. Shirtcliff was counsel for the club, Mr A. C. Hughes-Johnson appeared for the Waimairi District Council, and Mr D. J. Clark appeared for the residents.