(23/5/2019) Mountain bikes could be coming to Boo Park

The City of Fremantle will investigate whether it’s possible to establish mountain bike trails in Booyeembara Park.

The City has been approached by the Fremantle Mountain Biking Collective, a group of local mountain bike enthusiasts, with a proposal to develop a series of trails in the park.

Last night the Fremantle Council voted to support the concept and will consider an allocation of $9000 in the next budget for a land-use compatibility feasibility study.

Mountain Biking Collective spokesperson Sam Wilkinson said a series of bike trails in Booyeembara Park would be a great asset for Fremantle.

“Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with more than 120,000 mountain bikes purchased in WA each year,” Mr Wilkinson said.

“The nearest sanctioned mountain bike trails are up in Kalamunda, so that’s a two-hour return trip for Freo people who want to go for a ride.

“Having a few trails in Boo Park would be fantastic because kids will have a chance to practice and develop their skills after school without having to be driven to Kalamunda. It also offers an exciting environment for parents to play and ride with their kids.

“It’s a bit like the need for the skate park at the Esplanade. There’s a lot of demand for these facilities but we don’t really have anything in the local area.”

The proposal is to establish a number of trails with varying degrees of difficulty running from the eastern ridge of the park towards Stevens Street, serving as a purpose-built skills park.

The format of the facilities and how they fit in with the park’s values and other users would be determined through consultation during development of a concept plan.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the concept of mountain bike trails in Booyeembara Park was worth exploring.

“One of the challenges with Boo Park is that the area has been identified as containing fragments of bonded asbestos containing material and we have a site management plan in place to mitigate any potential health risks,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“The first step in moving this concept forward is to carry out a land-use compatibility study to find out if the trails could be developed and managed in accordance with the site management plan.

“If that study finds the site is suitable we could then move on to a more detailed design phase.”

The Booyeembara Park Reference Group has been consulted and is supportive of the proposal being developed further.

Last night the council voted to support the development of a proposal for mountain bike trails in Booyeembara Park, and the consideration of an allocation of $9000 for a land-use compatibility feasibility study as part of the 2019/20 budget process.

Subject to a finding the proposal is compatible with the site management plan, an allocation of $15,000 will be included for consideration as part of the 2019/20 budget process for the creation of a trail concept plan.