Timboon pump track moves ahead

Published on 05 March 2021

Pictured: Resident and keen mountain biker Todd Baxter and Corangamite Shire community projects team member Richard White.

One of Timboon’s community priorities will soon become a reality with the site of the future pump track pegged out at Power Creek Reserve.

A works team cordoned off the proposed construction site at the picnic area behind the swimming pool on Monday, taking measurements and elevations.

Residents using the reserve are being asked to take care around the pegs and tape.

A group of local mountain bike enthusiasts met on-site with Cr Kate Makin and Council representatives last week to discuss designs for the proposed pump track.

The design group spearheaded by local mountain biker Todd Baxter, and working with the Power Creek Reserve Committee, will come up with a design for the track that will suit beginners and experts alike.

A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden by riders ‘pumping’ their arms and legs, without the need to pedal.

It is enjoyed by mountain-bike enthusiasts keen to train and hone their skills without the need for ‘bush-bashing’ through sensitive flora and fauna.

Cr Kate Makin said the new track would be a great way for children and beginners to learn the skills required for mountain-biking.

“This is going to be a great addition to Timboon and I want to thank Todd Baxter and all those involved for really driving the idea at a local level.

A mountain bike track has been listed as a community priority in the Blueprint for Timboon community plan since 2016.

Beach Energy, the operator of the Otway natural gas plant, has committed $25,000 to the community for the design and construction of the new track. The funding will be met with a further $10,000 from Corangamite Shire, bringing the overall project budget to $35,000.