SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND
SOUTHERN DOWNS – ONE STEP AHEAD!
2020
ROAD SAFETY AWARD WINNER!
James Varughese
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Downs Regional Council embarked on a project to get kids outside and start exercising! The idea was to build a Learn to Ride Park to help get kids active and provide a safe area where they can learn to ride their bikes. With such emphasis now placed on keeping active during isolation, Southern Downs proved to be one step ahead of the crowd by building this new, fun facility. The idea of a Learn to Ride Park in Australiana Park in Warwick (two hours south-west of Brisbane) has been on the wish list since 2007 when the former Warwick Shire Council adopted a Master Plan for Australiana Park. Already existing in the park were a velodrome and a BMX track, so a Learn to Ride facility would fit well with the other cycling infrastructure. As the new construction of a recreational facility of this nature may not rate highly against other local infrastructure projects funded by ratepayers, Southern Downs Regional Council sought grant funding for the project. Success came through the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland program Round 3, which allocated $300,000 for the project. Designing such a specific
64
Learn to Ride Park in Australiana Park, Warwick.
product was not within council’s expertise, so it outsourced the design services to Adaptive Cycle Pty Ltd trading as 8LA. One of its Directors, Gerard McCormick was delighted to be awarded the tender to design and construct the Learn to Ride Park in Australiana Park in December 2019. The vibe of Australiana Park at that time was quite tired and seemed to be a place where travellers would briefly stop for a comfort break and then be on their way. Council initially allocated the north-western corner of the park for the Learn to Ride facility as there was sufficient space for it in that area. The southern two-thirds of the park were contaminated as the park was constructed on a former landfill site; therefore disturbing the surface of that area was not desired. When council staff met with Gerard McCormick onsite in January 2020, a totally new vision began. Gerard’s enthusiasm to place the Learn to Ride facility on the north-western corner, beside the Cunningham
Highway to attract attention, was immediately well received. Picnic shelters and a playground were already located in the area for the Learn to Ride Park to weave around. A disused water feature that visually and physically divided the park would be overcome by installing a bridge to reconnect the eastern side with the accessible western side of the park. With the ideas and suggestions from the landscape designer, the concept of a dull, flat concrete path with the odd Stop or Give Way sign had disappeared! Design and Consultation Phase Within one week of the initial site inspection, council had a concept sketch on the table. The concept included elements such as a water hazard, a bridge, a railway level crossing and a slalom track with whoops and berms. Standard road features included a roundabout, stop and give way intersections, one-way roads, pedestrian crossings and rural features such as a cattle grid and gravel road with corrugations. The need for an area where small
ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | MARCH 2021
