Living in St Arnaud, we all recognise and cherish the natural and recreational beauty that our town has to offer. However, one area in which we are notably lacking is a safe and dedicated bike track. Our community doesn't have a decent or reasonable skate park like Stawell, and children, filled with enthusiasm and creativity, often take to the bush to build makeshift tracks. These tracks, while adventurous, aren't safe and often get dismantled. It's disheartening to see the efforts of our children destroyed, rather than supported and encouraged.
A properly constructed bike track would not only provide kids and adults a safe place to ride and enjoy, but it would also be a wonderful attraction for visitors and tourists. Mountain biking is growing in popularity across Australia. The sport encourages exercise, community engagement, and a love for the outdoors. Our town could become a destination for enthusiasts, which would help our local economy with increased visitation to businesses and services.
We propose that the Northern Grampians Shire Council consider and support the development of a safe, legal bike track that aligns with environmental guidelines and harnesses input from local families, youth, and biking enthusiasts. Such a track could be funded through community initiatives, local government funding, state funding and other grants. It’s a project that would require effort and collaboration, but the benefits will be immense for our community.
We urge the Northern Grampians Shire Council to recognise the needs of its younger population, particularly in St Arnaud and the potential positive impacts on our community at large. Please support this initiative by signing the petition and supporting construction of a safe bike track.