Council has approved the concept design for a new bike skills park at the Ashburton Domain and now the park’s Working Group will seek feedback from youngsters and others who might use it to improve their cycling skills and road safety awareness.

Approval also means the Working Group can start applying for grants to fund the $404,000 project.

The bike skills park will be developed without ratepayer funds, though Council will take care of maintenance predicted to be around $25,000 a year.

Deputy Mayor Liz McMillan is part of the group that has been developing the bike skills park. Local service groups, Safer Mid Canterbury and Sport Canterbury are also on board.

“The idea came from a submission by the Safe Communities Programme to the Walking and Cycling Strategy in 2020 and this is a great and enthusiastic group to be part of. The concept plan captures every traffic feature we wanted and will help kids, migrants and others learn essential road skills.”

It is proposed to build the skills park at the domain on the site of the existing pump track.

The Working Group’s spokesperson Walter Van Der Kley said no work would begin until funds for the project were secured. A fund-raising committee had been formed and applications would be made to the Lion Foundation, the Mid South Canterbury Trust and Lotteries. An application to cover the costs of project managing the final design, tendering and construction of the facility has been made to Advance Ashburton.

“There is good community support for this project, and we think it is really important in teaching children and newcomers bike skills, especially in a town which is bisected by a main highway and railway lines.”

He said it was intended the park have traffic lights and a railway crossing, and material from the existing pump track be recycled as much as possible.

Once funds were secured, the project would be let to one contractor rather than have the work done by service clubs, because of the health and safety complexities of undertaking the job in the domain, which was a public space.

“This will be a great asset for the community when completed and draw even more people into the domain.”
Safe Communities Co-ordinator Lesley Symington said the concept plan would be taken to local schools so young people could provide feedback on what was planned.

“There will be give ways and stop signs, a roundabout, pedestrian crossings, a bus stop and even a cattle stop. We’re hoping to create an authentic uncontrolled railway crossing too.

“Having Council approve the concept plan is a great first step.”