Melbourne’s oldest, but somewhat neglected, BMX track is getting an upgrade.
Whittlesea council has given Mill Park’s Northern Park BMX Club the go-ahead for a major redevelopment that will bring its track back to competition standard.
Since 2012, its dilapidated facilities have made it unfit to host BMX Victoria-sanctioned competitions.
Club president Terry Nicholls said the works were needed desperately.
“We haven’t had an open race here for years, but in its day it was one of the best tracks around.”
He said years of neglect and a couple of floods had left the 23-year-old track in a state of disrepair.
Nicholls, who rides himself and whose son races semi-professionally, is keen to get the track back to a competitive standard.
The council is about to begin the design and planning phase. It is yet to make a financial commitment but has forecast this will come in the next few months, along with a timeline for the project. The improvements will include a new automated starting gate, track redesign and reconstruction, better drainage and clubhouse improvements.
Nicholls said the proposal submitted to the council had been costed at about $200,000.
“It’s been a four-year battle,” he said. “We were always the last cab off the rank . . . other sports always got the money.”
He said mayor Mary Lalios and Cr Norm Kelly had gone into bat for the project late last year.
“It’s been neglected for a long period of time,” Cr Lalios said. “It’s getting a well-deserved facelift.”
The club has 40 licensed members who race competitively and another 60 who race at club level.
