Libs promise up to $750K for Bligh Park BMX Pump track while Hornets turn to Gofundme for repairs

The Liberals’ big funding news last week was a hefty $750,000 of taxpayers money promised for a BMX Pump Track at Bligh Park – who knew they could be so expensive – but only of course if the Morrison government gets re-elected.

Meanwhile, this Sunday saw a working bee at the popular Colbee Park BMX track used by Hawkesbury Hornets BMX Club in McGraths Hill which has been twice hit by floods – and they’ve been told by Council there is not a cent to help repair it.

The folks at the Hornets – one of the Hawkesbury’s most popular and longest running BMX clubs – don’t begrudge the potential windfall for Bligh Park, they believe it’s a good idea to spread the BMX love, but they wouldn’t mind some financial support from Hawkesbury Council, who own the land their club sits on at Colbee Park.

Not happening, they have been told, Council’s resources have been stretched to the limit by the floods.

“We need around $50,000 to get the track repaired,” Hornets Club secretary Naomi Hanley told the Post.

“We asked Council for some help and were told there was no new funding available, so we’ve gone the Gofundme route.”

Here’s the link to the Gofundme page which so far has raised just $1620 out of a $50,000 goal, though Ms Hanley says that total may be reduced given the good work done on Sunday during the working bee.

The Hornets’ working bee was very successful, thanks to the hard work and kindness of members, friends and locals with access to machinery.

“We are really happy with the level of work that got done on Sunday,” Ms Hanley said.

“We have some awesome members who pulled out all the stops. We still have more to do with regards to surface scraping and putting the surface down.

Lots of hard work on Sunday by volunteers helping get Hornets’ BMX track repaired after two floods in two years

“Unfortunately if we flood yet again we will be back to square one so we are all crossing fingers, toes, even eyelashes, that the rain that’s forecast comes to nothing.”

They are hoping that by June 19 they can get the track completely repaired because they have a major annual event planned which sees as many as 700 riders visit from all over, and use the track. That, along with the support people, gives a big boost to the local economy.

The Club’s grounds have flooded twice in the last 2 years, and Ms Hanley says that if Council cannot help put the club back on its feet when that happens they should perhaps consider moving them to higher ground.

The Colbee Park BMX track – though the Hornets’ home track – is an open track which means anyone can use it, and it’s very popular with locals, the Hornets have 84 members ranging from age 2 upwards.

If you’d like to support the Hornets in their quest to get their track fully operational once again, you can do so here.

Meanwhile, let’s briefly revisit the Bligh Park announcement because that appears very lavish indeed.

Since Council carried out an online survey, the voted-for BMX track (the vote was between a skate park and a standard BMX track) has somehow morphed into a more expensive BMX Pump Track – that means if it goes ahead it will be fully asphalted, while a normal BMX track like the Hornets’ venue is somewhat simpler and less cost.

There is no design or costed plan for the Bligh Park BMX Pump Track.

As it happens, funding has been promised for BMX Pump tracks by the Liberals’ Andrew Constance who some may recall was NSW Transport Minister, a man who knows a thing or two about infrastructure.

On the very same day the Bligh Park funding announcement was made, Mr Constance made two BMX Pump Track funding announcements in Gilmore, the electorate he hopes to win on the NSW south coast in the upcoming Federal Election.

And the amount? $75,000 for a Pump Track in Sanctuary Point and $75,000 for another in Sussex Inlet, with the local council popping in another $75,000 on each project, so $150,000 for each new pump track.

Hawkesbury voters could well ask then, where does the “upto $750,000” of taxpayer’s money for Bligh Park figure come from, and what exactly is it based on?

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