Sutherland Council to consult kids before removing bike jumps
Sutherland Shire Council has voted to consult with the community before removing kids’ bike jumps after the issue was highlighted by The Daily Telegraph.
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BMX riding children in the Sutherland Shire have had a win over the fun police who wanted to tear down their bike jumps.
Sutherland Shire Council last night passed Councillor Kent Johns’ motion to require stakeholder consultation prior to removing the jumps and ramps children had built near their homes.
The move to preserve the jumps follows a parent led campaign against tearing down the children’s ramps because they wanted to encourage them to spend time outdoors.
The council previously cited public safety concerns as the reason for removing the jumps but today said they would consult more with the community before demolishing them.
“Last night Council moved to address this issue as part of our ‘Open Space and Play Strategies’, which are currently under development,” a council spokesman said.
“These strategies will reflect community desire for the adequate provision of bike recreation opportunities in our public spaces as well as supporting associated stakeholder engagement for the establishment, adjustment or removal of them.”
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He said while the new policy was implemented, council staff would still engage the community in providing safe, appropriate opportunities for local young people to enjoy our outdoor spaces while also respecting the rights of all local residents to enjoy our parks and reserves.
“Sutherland Shire Council continues to support the community interest to use our open spaces for active outdoor recreation, including bike tracks where these facilities do not pose an unacceptable risk to the surrounding environment or the safety of other members of the community,” he said.
The petition urging the council to rethink its original hard line stance of simply steamrolling kids’ bike jumps attracted more than 2400 signatures since it was started two weeks ago.
Western Sydney’s Cumberland City Council mayor Steve Christou weighed into the debate last Tuesday, telling The Daily Telegraph Sutherland Council should let the kids have their physical fun outdoors.
“I absolutely stand in support of concerned parents,” he said. “In a day and age of increased obesity due to the excessive times spent on iPhones, iPads, Sony PlayStations etc, councils should be doing all they can to support outdoor activities for children.”