Community
29 August, 2022
Babinda’s new pump track a grassroots success
BABINDA’S recently finished asphalt pump track has proven popular with local kids and at its official opening on Saturday, August 20, there were four locals particularly chuffed with the Council project coming to fruition.
Julie Schep and Lisa Buckley and their teenage sons Leon and Max were responsible for getting the Babinda Pump Track project up and running back in 2020 with some grassroots activism.
At the time, Lisa and Julie were spending many of their weekends carpooling the boys to ride various bike tracks located in Cairns.
Lisa made the decision to start a local petition to gauge local interest in one for the district and Max, Leon and Julie attended a Babinda Chamber of Commerce meeting to present the case for it, winning over Councillor Brett Moller in the process.
“After seeing their PowerPoint presentation and talking to them in person, I took the idea to Council officers and my fellow Councillors and we got it into the forward budgets,” Cr Moller said.
“By applying the full allocation of my discretionary fund last financial year, we have been able to deliver this project for Babinda and the district,” he said.
Both Leon and Max said they are very happy with how the track has turned out; with 300m of bends and jumps, the boys agreed both its size and its level of difficulty are great.
Councillor Moller agreed saying that as well as bringing enjoyment to the young people in the area, the pump track is yet another great facility at Bill Wakeham Park.
“The addition of the pump track will broaden the park’s appeal, bringing benefits to the local community,” Cr Moller said.
South Australian tourists Luke, Winston and Geoffery who were visiting from Port Lincoln and just happened to be present for the official opening, said it was a brilliant pump track and a great tourist attraction for the town.
With a variety of mountain bike, BMX and pump tracks located in various places across Cairns, now kids in the southern region of Cairns LGA can partake in this activity too.
