Local club unite over decommissioned racetrack

A petition to save a southern BMX track – the last public track in the area – has sped out the gates, netting more than 2000 signatures in a week.

Keen bikers are uniting to save their local BMX track after a multimillion dollar track received the green light last year.

A petition to the save the Happy Valley BMX club, created by Scott Rouvray, has over 2000 signatures and continues to grow every hour after they were informed their current track was to be decommissioned.

“There has been no public decision or discussion as to what is happening with the existing track once the club moves,” the petition states.

Happy Valley BMX track. Picture: Google Maps

“This petition’s aim is to engage the community to assist the council in showing how many people use this track out side of the club usage.

“We seek to ask that the City of Onkaparinga keep the track open to the public after the BMX club moves as a local facility for sports and recreation.”

Formed in the early 1980s, the Happy Valley club has remained at the same location for the last four decades, hosting an array of events including six state championships as well as the 7th Australian Masters Games in 1999.

Artist Impressions of Marion Council's Sam Willoughby BMX Facility and Soccer Grounds.

Artist Impressions of Marion Council's Sam Willoughby BMX Facility and Soccer Grounds.

The new facility at O’Halloran Hill, which has been named after dual Olympian Sam Willoughby, has been a work in progress dating back to 2016.

“This is going to be one of the greatest BMX facilities in the world,” Willoughby said earlier this year.

“It’s going to raise the level of our local BMX riders. Everyone from around the world is going to want to come and use this facility.”

The current BMX track is open to the public, but if closed down would result in no public tracks in the southern area for riders to hone their skills.

“The track is currently open to the public when it is not in use by the Happy Valley BMX club and is used very heavily by locals on a daily basis by young children starting to ride up to teenagers and adults,” the petition says.

Work has commenced on the new facility and plans to open later in the year.

You can find the petition here.