Minnamurra Quarry, which is located in Kiama, New South Wales and owned by Kiama Municipal Council, has lain idle for about two decades. The quarry ran for around 100 years and was used to extract ‘blue metals’.
According to the minutes of the Kiama Municipal Council September 19 meeting, councillors unanimously voted to prepare a proposed plan for a suitable “BMX/pump track” at the quarry site.
{{quote-a:r-w:300-I:2-Q:“It has been quite common for local parents and their children to approach me in person adding their support.”-WHO:Mark Way, Kiama local councillor}}Local councillor Mark Way, one of the councillors spearheading the project, noted the community had “repeatedly requested the quarry be used as a BMX/bike skills facility”.
“Since local media stories have highlighted the BMX/bike skills proposal for Minnamurra Quarry, it has been quite common for local parents and their children to approach me in person adding their support,” Way told Quarry.
“I noticed that in this area it is common to see families participating in cycling and given the large component of local people who ride these types of bikes, it would be well patronised.”
Way noted the Kiama Municipal Council had already commenced community consultation through local meetings, media releases and social media, and would continue to do so as the project developed.
“Youth forums were also conducted at two local schools and their feedback is currently being formalised and will be included in the final design,” he added.
Safety preparations
When asked what would need to be done to make the quarry site safe, Way said a ‘Plan of Management’ report had been developed in 2000 and would be cited accordingly.
The report had previously identified a risk of falling rocks from the quarry walls and recommended a suitable control would be to “construct an exclusion zone to ensure that any injury of rock falls are eliminated”.
Commenting on whether the site could potentially be used for other purposes in the future, Way said, “My preferred option is for a BMX/bike skills track … rather than competition with operating hours restricted to daylight hours”.
“I could see families in the area riding their bikes to and from the facility with only minimal vehicle usage.”
The council will prepare a final report on the Minnamurra Quarry BMX/bike skills project and present it at its upcoming 21 November council meeting.
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