South Coast mum Corina Cummins says the Batemans Bay BMX Club is made up of “four normal people whose kids love BMX racing” – but their home track needs major upgrades. Photo: Raul Mellado.
A coastal BMX club has fired the starting gun in its efforts to revitalise its track, but says the price tag for repairs remains a concern.
Corina Cummins, one of the parents involved in running the Batemans Bay BMX Club, said the decision to close off access to the track wasn’t an easy one.
She said that decision – along with the club’s bid to upgrade Batemans Bay’s BMX track – followed ongoing issues with vandalism and weather damage.
“We do not want to lock the community out – that’s not what we want at all,” she told Region.
“But we cannot financially sustain the track for the community, if it’s just going to be destroyed by vandalism all the time.”
She said the club’s offices had been set alight and an access gate had been damaged, while needles and graffiti were found in the track’s bathroom.
Ms Cummins said a contractor had quoted the club between $80,000 and $100,000 to repair the track.
But the high cost means they’re seeking support from Eurobodalla Shire Council.
“We’re back in talks with council … We’re hoping that the council will come on board and help us get it up and running to the standard it needs to be, so it can be open to the community.”
It’s expected the repairs will fix water damage before the track is cured and can be used safely.
“It’s the rain, really, and just years of deterioration from the elements – now all the rocks are starting to come out … fist-sized boulders are coming out of the track,” she said.
“It’s dangerous, especially for our kids who are going super fast.”
For Ms Cummins, an ideal scenario would be having ESC cover part of the quoted cost, with the club also investigating business sponsorships.
“Even if council put in $50,000 or $60,000, we would then fundraise to make the extra $40,000,” she said.
Ms Cummins says the repairs are needed for full use of the track, including by club members in training and by the general public. Photo: James Coleman.
Ms Cummins also claimed that Eurobodalla Council had told them they were responsible for ongoing maintenance at the track, which is located on land leased from the council.
“It’s council land – [for] any other sporting club around here, the council cleans their toilets … But with us, they’re telling us that we have to do all that,” she said.
She said that without a usable track in Batemans Bay, families were faced with a two-hour trip to use facilities in Albion Park or Canberra.
While an ESC spokesperson didn’t explicitly address a question from Region about concerns about the track’s condition, they confirmed discussions around upgrades were ongoing.
“Council is in discussion with the BMX club regarding funding and [is] currently waiting on additional information to be supplied by the club,” they said.
“Under the licencing agreement, the maintenance of the track is the responsibility of the club.”
Ms Cummins is hopeful that, if the repairs are carried out, the club can open the track – and not only for members, but for the wider public to enjoy.
While they had installed a fence around the course, she said that was only an attempt to prevent vandalism and in light of the track’s condition.
“There was a lot of community backlash about us putting up the fence – [accusations that we were] ‘locking the community out’. That’s absolute rubbish,” she said.
“Our point about that is the track’s dangerous and it’s actually a club facility.”
Ms Cummins hopes the upgraded track is used when Sea Otter returns to the South Coast in October.
But she says that means there’s a deadline on efforts to repair it.
“They actually wanted our track [for use in their 2025 event], but we said it wasn’t going to happen … They definitely want it for this year.”
