Mountain biking is very popular amongst kids aged from 8-15 years. This is a great thing as they’re being more active, are spending more time outdoors and being social and forming new friendships. I am sure that all parents are overjoyed, as are we.

However, there are no spaces within the South East Brisbane inner suburbs that permit mountain bike riding. 

Along with that are some additional problems:

·      Kids (and adults) have been building their own makeshift tracks through reserves such as Whites Hill Reserve where there is constant maintenance required by Brisbane City Council (BCC) to constantly monitor and block new tracks. Also, riding through Whites Hill Reserve puts wildlife and walkers at risk.

·      Kids are building trails in unused green spaces amongst overgrown grass and weeds in public green spaces, where adults have called BCC to address the children about the trails.

·      My child was targeted by a woman unknown to us or my son, who threatened to call the police on him if he is caught riding in Whites Hill. This incident occurred at Camp Hill whilst my son was unloading his bike from the car to ride it two blocks home after he had been riding with his father at Daisy Hill and his father and I were enjoying a coffee.

·      Groups of kids are looking for places in parks and public spaces to build their own tracks and jumps but are being met with disapproval and rejection of local community members.

We are requesting a local mountain biking skills park be built in the South East Brisbane inner suburbs region. This will provide a free and permissible space that kids (and adults I am sure) can use freely without sceptical eyes upon them.

Below is a list of existing skills parks for mountain bikes (list 1), and a list of possible sites for a new skills park to be built (list 2), using Coorparoo as a centre point.

List 1 (km from Coorparoo):

• Hidden Vale Adventure Park, Hidden Vale - 82.5km
• Castlehill Trails, Ipswich - 44km
• Cornubia Forest Park, Cornubia - 37km
• Sunset Park, Ashgrove - 14km

List 2 (km from Coorparoo):

• Bill Hewitt Reserve, Camp Hill - 3.5km
• Vectis Street Park, Norman Park - 2.4km
• The Common Park, Coorparoo - 1.2km
• Carindale Recreation Reserve, Carindale - 6.5km
• Tillack Park, Carindale - 7km
• Minnippi Parkland, Belmont - 7.5km
• Murrarie Recreation Park, Murrarie - 7.5km

I have observed all the great work that the council has been doing to provide outdoor, communal activity spaces. This would be something for the young ones that I am certain they would love and very much appreciate.