Shire of Augusta-Margaret River to support junior mountain bike area in Brookfield to help youngsters

Brookfield could soon be home to a “low-key mountain bike skills area”. The Shire of Augusta-Margaret River is advertising the 12-month trial project in one of its reserves on the south-western edge of the subdivision bordered by Leschenaultia Avenue and Andrews Way. The site is currently a grassed reserve with adjacent footpaths connecting to Doust Corner and a bush boundary between the corner of Andrews Way and Bussell Highway. The Shire said the proposal addressed informal bike trails built by younger residents in the degraded bush. The MTB track would occupy 0.25 hectares with a formalised skills area using natural features such as rocks and logs as a border to distinguish it from the remaining native bushland, a Shire spokesperson said. The Shire also aimed to get young riders on board for a trail-building workshop and then hands-on work with experts and volunteer mentors. An on-site workshop will be held on Friday, January 6, led by Magic Dirt Trailworx “to learn about sustainable trail-building and to help construct the trail area,” the Shire said. “Mountain-bike trails and jumps have been built informally in this reserve over recent years and receive heavy use, particularly by school-aged children,” the Shire said. “In principle, informal trail building is not permitted in Shire reserves, due to environmental impacts and risks to public safety. “However, trail removal is not always a feasible option. “Removal can be costly where trails are well established and may not reduce trail building as the activity is likely to move to another location.” The project would also show some love to the neighbouring bush while building the skills area to Australian stands. Attendance was limited and should be booked through the Shire website.