St Ives: Ku-ring-gai Mini Wheels site to be dismantled

It was once the north shore’s largest mini wheels club, but now a major clean-up operation is set to begin to dismantle the site including removing an estimated 8000 tyres.

The clean-up of the site is set to continue into next year.

Thousands of tyres are set to be removed from St Ives Showground as part of a mammoth task of remediating a former mini-wheels training circuit at the site.

Ku-ring-gai Council has allocated funds towards rehabilitating the former Ku-ring-gai Mini Wheels Training Club and in an effort to restore the ecological value of the land.

The move comes almost five years after the Ku-ring-gai Mini Wheels Training Club – which had used the site since the mid 1970s – had its lease terminated by the council due to the impacts on protected bushland.

The club had used the site since the mid 1970s.

Studies show a large portion of the site is part of the Duffy’s Forest endangered ecological community, which is protected under state and federal law.

Funding by the council will pave the way for removal of the clubhouse, an estimated 8000 tyres, 54 tonnes of other material, tracks and trails and remediation of phytophthora – a contaminated plant pathogen.

The project will also involve landscaping works, bush regeneration and revegetation works and construction of habitat structures.

The council said the current condition of the site was “highly variable” with some areas showing a high level of resilience while others had been highly modified with removed soil and imported material.

The site will be rehabilitated.

“These areas will require complex site remediation works to assist natural regeneration. The removal of the estimated 8000 tyres will be a significant milestone and allow for a reassessment of the site remediation plan,” the council said.

Former club president Craig Kennedy said the closure of the site had been disappointing for members, with attempts to find another site to operate the club proving futile.

“We had members who trained there who have gone on to compete and a Grand Prix level – it was a skills and training base club to get the basics right so it was incredibly disappointing that after 40-odd years it had to close,” he said.

The club’s lease was terminated in 2015.

“The club was trying to persist but it was hard without adequate facilities – we looked for another site and raised funds to relocate but I don’t think anyone on the council wanted that to occur.”

A council spokeswoman said the council is in the process of developing a Plan of Management for the St Ives Showground in consultation with current users.

“The future use of the site will seek to protect the ecological value of the site and enhance public access and recreation,” she said.

“Possibilities include walking tracks, eco-camping and environmental education experiences.”

The spokeswoman said the tyres would be removed by hand, bobcat and excavator before being taken to a recycling facility.

“At the facility tyres are divided into those that can be recycled and those that cannot,” the spokeswoman said.

“Good quality tyres that can be recycled are ground up. Poor quality tyres are shredded and taken away for disposal.”

The council has received $63,500 in funding from the NSW Environmental Trust towards the project which is due for completion by October next year.

The council is also investigating options for funding further work from the NSW Biodiversity Offset Scheme.