When we talked to people about bike tracks in Geelong and The Hill in 2021, we were told that many riders did not enjoy the City’s existing mountain bike and dirt jump facilities because of their condition and the limited features available. We also heard as part of that feedback that you would like to be involved in the future design and renewal of these facilities.

In 2024 the Mountain Bike Facilities Renewal Project began which included three existing bike facilities in need of improvements across Geelong. These sites are The Hill in Newtown, Stead Park Dirt Jumps in Corio and the Waurn Ponds Dirt Jumps in Grovedale. A consultant was engaged to prepare concept plans and in July 2024 community engagement began.

Previous input from The Hill engagement in 2021 and your engagement feedback for this project in 2024 have now helped us prepare the new concept designs for the Stead Park Dirt Jumps, The Hill Mountain Bike Park in Newtown, and the Waurn Ponds Dirt Jumps.

The City has engaged with the community in 2021 (The Hill) and in 2024 to understand what they like, and what they would like to see improved at the three sites, The Hill in Newtown, Stead Park Dirt Jumps in Corio, and the Waurn Ponds Dirt Jumps in Grovedale.

A summary report from the engagement is now published on this page, which includes what we heard

The feedback received identified a number of key themes to be incorporated into the concept plans.

The key themes identified by park were:

Stead Park

Highest Renewal Priorities -

• Complete redesign of jumps using more of the available area.

• Jumps with genuine intermediate and advanced features.

• Beginner bumps/skills circuit.

Future upgrade options –

• Addition of asphalt pump track.

Waurn Ponds

Highest Renewal Priorities -

• Genuine advanced jumps with reinforced jump ramps and features for continued progression.

• Timber wall ride at end of jumps lines.

• Higher start mound.

• Improved landscaping to make area more inviting for everyone.

• Designated beginner area featuring rollers and berms.

Future upgrade options –

• Small asphalt pump track
• Drinking water fountain
• Shelter for spectating.

The Hill

Highest Renewal Priorities -

• Genuine advanced jumps with reinforced jump ramps and features for continued progression.

• Improved site layout to remove points of conflict and make movement through site more intuitive.

• Designated beginner and spectator areas for parents/guardians.

Future renewal and upgrade opportunities –

• Replacement of dirt pump track with asphalt pump track

• Development of unused grassed area for extended jumps lines, and/or intermediate-advanced flow trails.

• Upgrade existing intermediate mountain bike trails to have greater variety of skill features and flow, including A and B lines.

• Upgrade of existing trails for intermediate-advanced flow trails.

• New intermediate – advanced descending mountain bike trail(s) in existing footprint (north-west of site).

• Improve alignment and design of beginner trails to create shorter skills loops.
• Toilets
• Drinking water fountain
• An additional entry to the site

We would like to thank everyone for their time and contributions so far and look forward to your feedback on the concept plans to help shape and complete the final plans.

Constraints –

Some of the requests for renewal upgrades to the sites could not fit into the designated budget. Items suggested that have not been shown on the concept plans have not been forgotten, they simply could not be included within the current renewal scopes. Please be assured that future upgrades and funding opportunities for the sites will utilise the engagement comments collected.

We have done our best to come up with a design that meets what we have heard from the community within budget constraints.

Your feedback is a vital part of the concept plans design and helps us make decisions to ensure the renewal of each site creates an inviting place that meets the needs of the community.

We'd love you to review the draft concept plans and provide your feedback as to whether the plans respond to your previous feedback.

Once this review of the concept plans closes for feedback, we will collate and consider all responses as we work to finalise the concept designs.

The final concept designs will be published here on our Have Your Say page.

Funding for delivery of these projects will be sought through future Council budgets and grant opportunities.