Who is the Cockburn BMX Club?

    The Cockburn BMX Club has been operating since 1980 and has been operating from Malabar Park since 1990. The Club provides the Cockburn and wider community opportunities to participate formally in the sport of BMX racing (as seen in the Olympics). Club members range from 3 years old to ‘Masters 2’ age groups of 35 year and older. The Club has approximately 130 members of which circa 70% live within the City of Cockburn.

    How often does the Club use Malabar Park?

    The Club's current primary racing time is Tuesday nights in line with school terms (40 weeks per year). Training occurs formally and informally during various times of the week. The Club also hosts a number of events during the year suitable for elite and general participation (Challenge) riders.


    Who are the Friends of the Community Inc?

    The Friends of the Community Inc. are a not-for-profit group who run a small food organisation at various private and community events and re-invest profits back into the community through grants and donations where funding may not be available.

    Why is it proposed the Friends of the Community re-locate to Malabar Park?

    The Friends of the Community are currently based at Beale Park, Spearwood. The City in the coming years is proposing to redevelop that site to increase the amount of active sporting space. Furthermore, the Friends of the Community have outgrown their space at Beale Park and as a result, the Malabar Park site presented a good opportunity for new infrastructure to support their needs and a desire to be more centrally located within the City of Cockburn.

    What consultation has the City undertaken to date?

    As part of the development of the Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan 2018-2033, the City consulted with the wider community and a total of 73 of the 309 comments were made directly in relation to upgrading the existing facilities at Malabar Park. To date, in the development of these plans, the City has been working closely with leaders of the Cockburn BMX Club and Friends of the Community who are supportive of the proposed plans.

    What is the purpose of this consultation?

    The purpose is to inform and seek feedback from the local and wider community on the proposed plans to upgrade Malabar Park. 

    Who is the City consulting with?

    The City has been directly consulting with leaders of each of the respective user groups. The City is seeking feedback from nearby businesses and wider community.

    Why upgrade Malabar Park?

    In addition to the large amount of previous feedback during the development of the Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan 2018-2033; the key reasons to upgrade are as follows:

    ·  Current facilities do not meet the needs of the club and are not fit for purpose.

    ·  Existing infrastructure is ageing and at the end of its useful life.

    ·  Current drainage around the site is poor.

    ·  New infrastructure will make it safer for wider community use.

    ·  BMX Racing is becoming increasingly popular alternative to the traditional sports with its emergence in the 2008 Olympics. 

    What works are being proposed as part of the upgrades?

    The main features of the proposed redevelopment include:

    Track

    A new re-orientated track meeting Union Cyclist Internationale (UCI) standards. The track is to be re-orientated to suit the natural environmental elements (sun, wind) and topography of the site. It is proposed that the track will be sealed with the ‘Sic Surface’ product or similar should it be feasible and suitable for the Western Australian conditions.

    5 Metre Start Ramp

    A 5 metre start ramp is proposed. This will be exclusively used by the Cockburn BMX Club due to safety; however there will be a side ramp approximately 2.5m high for community use.

    Track Lighting

    It is proposed that LED track lighting will be provided to a level of 200 lux meeting BMX Australia standards.

    Multi-purpose Community Facility

    A 343m2 multi-purpose community facility is proposed. This would include office space for both the Cockburn BMX Club and Friends of the Community, multi-purpose function space, kitchen, toilets and storage.

    Storage Shed

    A 155m2 storage shed is proposed for the Friends of the Community to store all of their equipment to service the various events around Cockburn.

    Car Park

    The intent is to formalise the car park on site for main every day usage by the club and wider community.

    Playground and Pump Track 

    A new BMX pump track and playground infrastructure is proposed as part of the passive park area. The pump track will be open to the public and can also be used by the club for training. A BBQ is proposed and patrons will be able to use a Park Universal Access Toilet as part of the facility.

    Will I be able to access the facilities once the park is upgradedd?

    Yes. The intent is to allow Malabar Park to be open to the public between daylight hours. The main track will be available for use by the community outside formalised agreed times between the Club and the City.

    It is proposed the multi-purpose community facility will also be available for hire by the wider community outside of agreed times of the Cockburn BMX Club and Friends of the Community through the City’s Community Facilities Booking Office.

    Who will be maintaining the infrastructure at Malabar Park?

    For the most part the City of Cockburn will be responsible. Key exclusive areas will be under a lease or licence arrangement to the respective groups and they will be responsible for maintenance. However, the key areas of the site including track, multi-purpose community facility, car park, playground and pump track will be maintained by the City.

    Will the track be upgraded?

    While the current track is in good condition, advice from BMX consultants indicates that a track reorientation would be beneficial, due to the movements of the sun and typical wind direction. The existing track does not comply with UCI standards and at times has had poor drainage. The proposed design takes the above into consideration as well as the natural fall of the site which assists drainage and is preferred for racing.

    What about an 8m ramp?

    As per BMX Australia guidelines a 5m ramp is suitable for local, state and national racing. 8m ramps are provided for international racing and this is considered over and above the provision of local government. Should external funding become available, the current proposed design has taken into consideration space and integration for an 8m ramp.

    Has the City considered traffic and parking?

    Yes. While a formal study will take place at a later stage, it is not expected there will be a significant increase in usage of the site. Should the club wish to facilitate major events, a City of Cockburn Event Application will be required. This process considers all aspects of an event including traffic and parking.

    How will this project be funded?

    In the Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan, a total of $3.2M was listed for this redevelopment. This amount was on the premise of receiving funding from the State Governments Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) Annual and Forward (Large) Grants Program although unfortunately was unsuccessful. As a result, the City as part of its municipal funding contribution allocated $2.45M and is proceeding with this as the project budget, while still seeking other external funding opportunities.

    Should the overall cost of the redevelopment be more than the $2.45M budget, the City will need to consider priorities and adopt a staged approach to deliver the overall development in later years (subject to budget deliberations). 


    Where is Malabar Park?

    Malabar Park is located on Malabar Way in Bibra Lake. 

    View a map of the location here.