Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea has expressed strong disappointment over Warringah Council’s decision to not financially support or actively participate in maintaining and managing recreational facilities at a potential new Belrose park.
The site will cease taking landfill from November 2014 and there is broad community support to utilise the area for recreational facilities, particularly mountain biking.
$3.5 million is already available through a State Government vehicle to create a wonderful new facility.
“At last week’s meeting Warringah Council refused to allocate even one cent towards managing or maintaining any recreational facility on the site, despite even requesting potential inclusion of a skateboard facility,” Mr O’Dea said.
“The Council appears to have missed the significance of this rare opportunity to establish new local sporting facilities, with broad community appeal. The Council’s decision is extremely disappointing and I believe, short-sighted,” Mr O’Dea said.
The latest development appears to be contrary to a 2010 resolution of Council to support an option for dedicated mountain bike tracks and “ensure that the needs of the community, especially user groups are best met.”
“The Warringah Council decision communicates a lack of desire to play an ongoing role with a potential sporting facility, particularly for the local biking community,” Mr O’Dea said.
“Mountain bike facilities appear well suited to the former Belrose waste site with local residents and the biking fraternity strongly supporting the concept. It is generally the role of local government to manage local and regional public sporting facilities.
“I encourage the Council to reconsider its position and explore the opportunity to establish new local sporting facilities on the Belrose landfill site, particularly mountain bike and running tracks, for the benefit of the local and broader community,” Mr O’Dea concluded.
For further comment, please contact Jonathan O'Dea on 0418 241 500
