With environmental approval processes almost complete, Council has called for quotations on the Marius Street BMX track remediation works and track upgrade.
The quote will be open until late April 2022, with a contract expected to be awarded by early May 2022. Once awarded, the remediation of the site and subsequent construction of the new track is expected to commence as soon as the specialist contractors can mobilise to site.
With many state and federal laws and policies in place to protect the Australian public from risks associated with the presence of asbestos, Council has worked with all relevant environmental authorities and several consultants since the contamination was first identified to conform to legislated requirements and approvals regarding the site’s remediation. While this process has taken longer than originally anticipated, Council is confident that these processes have ensured the safest possible result for BMX club members and our community.
The work to be undertaken soon will not only remove all contaminated materials and restore the track for safe public use, but it will also upgrade the existing track to create a facility suitable for hosting state and national level events.
Deputy Prime Minister and Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said it is local projects like these that make Tamworth and the New England thrive.
“When the BMX track reopens, riders of all ages can once again enjoy a quality track, thanks to the facilities of Tamworth Regional Council.”
“The Coalition Government will always back community minded projects, and this is just another example throughout the New England,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Tamworth Region Mayor Russell Webb thanked the community for their patience so far while these important environmental processes have been followed.
“We can’t wait to get this facility back up and running for all our local BMX riders. The track will be bigger and better than before, and most importantly, will be safe for our community to use.”
Dan Morris, Tamworth City BMX Club President said “It’s great to be at the point where we can make some real inroads in getting a BMX track back in our region for our community and dedicated club members. While it has been a long process, we’re all very excited about the impending remediation and upgrade works.”
The work will involve removing the contaminated material to an onsite containment cell and then reshaping the track before upgrading it to an all-weather, high performance competition surface.
Upgrading the BMX track has been made possible through $587,989 funding through the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program. The Tamworth region is already benefitting from over $6 million in funding from the first two phases of the program, with another $5.3 million committed under Phase Three. The LRCI program supports local Councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and the resilience of local economies to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
