Residents raise concerns over bike park proposed for old Queenscliff high school site
More than 100 people have signed a petition against a bike park proposed for a former high school site on the Bellarine following fears it would be too noisy and impact the town’s heritage.
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More than 100 people have signed a petition against a bike park which could be developed on the old Queenscliff High School site following fears it would impact the towns heritage values.
The 101-signature petition lodged to the Borough of Queenscliffe council raises concerns of the potential location for the park and requests council to reconsider the project.
The petition said building a bike park at the primary entry point to the township fails to enhance Queenscliff’s “acknowledged heritage values”.
“One of Queenscliff’s key characteristics is its low-key historic profile which is important to residents, visitors and businesses alike,” the petition read.
“This attribute differentiates the town from other Bellarine and Surf Coast destinations and it should be carefully maintained and encouraged.
“The high school site forms an iconic entrance to Queenscliff, with important vistas through to Swan Bay and eastwards along the avenue of honour and memorial garden.
“A park at this site does not align with the ongoing work to restore and promote these two heritage memorials.”
It comes after council recently concluded the first stage of a three-stage consultation process to develop a design for the new park.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning identified a large area of vacant land on the site of the old Queenscliff High School as a location council should investigate for development of the park.
A Borough of Queenscliffe spokesman said council began the process of developing the park in July last year after closing off a number of informal jumps tracks to protect sensitive vegetation.
“A new, dedicated bike park will give riders a place they can practice their skills without impacting coastal vegetation,” he said. “This first stage was focused on collecting ideas about what might be included in the bike park and where it might be located.”
The petition said the proposal would contribute to the loss of undeveloped land and lacks any environmental impact assessment despite Swan Bay’s high environmental values.
“The proposed bike park is very close to house and, if the facility becomes an attraction, it will be difficult to manage amenity problems such as noise, parking and traffic (particularly over the peak summer season),” it said.
Council is set to receive the petition at a meeting tonight (Wednesday) and will consider the petition at the next council meeting. The next two consultation stages will occur later this year, and involve a workshop stage and a design review stage, with the final design subject to standard planning processes, council said.
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