Sunday, December 15, 2019 marks the final St Kilda Cycling Club Criterium race at White Street, Port Melbourne.  After 17 years of racing, this is a heartbreaking loss for the Melbourne cycling community.  

For more than 17 years, passionate and committed local athletes have used the Circuit at White Street for cycling races.  The weekly races at White Street held over summer, have drawn bike racers, fans, and family members from around the Melbourne and from around the greater Victoria region, from all age groups, and from many diverse communities.  They enjoy vibrant colourful racing, with the background of Melbourne’s highrises.  Even professional cyclists from around the globe come to experience the unique magic of racing at Supercrit.  International athletes such as Kell O’Brien, Grace Brown, Carol Cooke, Sarah Gigante have crafted their race skills by attending regular local racing here.

We have worked hard over the years, and built a community based around racing that At White Street, that has been 100% inclusive of women athletes, junior athletes and para-athletes.  We provided racing for a wide range of abilities from Elite Men, Women and Para-Olympians all the way down to people competing in their very first race. 

We have been very proud of our ground-breaking women’s racing – the first club in Australia to offer separate women’s grades.  We ran skills sessions – not only for racers – but for anyone wanting to learn better bike handling skills. We held kids fun races – where we have kids as young as 2 come and just ride their bikes.

However, since the residential developments, on Boundary St, the City of Port Philip have shortened the number of race day permits each year, and imposed more restrictions on our racing.  This, our last season, was only possible after we agreed to the council conditions of hiring a professional traffic controller company.  This is extra weekly cost of $3000.  The council also refused to let us keep toilets onsite, and revoked permission to keep store our equipment onsite, which both added more costs to running the weekly races. 

We need somewhere to race, and it needs to be affordable.  Our ultimate aim is traffic free circuit in which all people within the community can ride at anytime.

We as a sporting club within the Port Phillip Council, has taken very little from the council over the years – we have had no club rooms for the council to maintain, no ovals for the council to mow, no facilities for the council to repair.  At the same the club spends countless hours teaching people the etiquette and skils to ride safely and respectfully in the local area.

We believe that by not providing a safe racing circuit, undermines the council’s values as stated in the council’s Sport Policy.

“The City of Port Phillip is committed to providing sport, leisure and recreation opportunities within the City of Port Phillip that are relevant, flexible, affordable and accessible to the Port Phillip community of all abilities and at all stages of life.” Sports Policy - www.portphillip.vic.gov.au

1. We ask that the council continues to let us race weekly over summer at White Street, until such time a traffic free alternative becomes available.
2. We ask that the council provides storage facilities at our races, or contributes to the cost of storing off-site.
3. We ask that the council allows us to keep toilets on-site at the circuit.
4. We ask that the council does not force us to use Professional Traffic Control Companies to meet permit restrictions, or the council covers the cost of such an impost.
5. We ask that the council finds us long-term cost-sustainable place for St Kilda cycling Club to hold weekly summer Criterium races.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Photo credit: michadventures