Many local councils in Australia struggle with the challenge of getting young people involved in outdoor activities. The town of Burnside in South Australia has developed an innovative solution to keep its youth active and engaged – a mobile pop-up pump track.
Since there has been a long-standing desire for a skate park in the community, the city government wanted to create a place for young people to have fun while avoiding the potential negative impacts of a skate park and minimizing the need for significant investment.
Endless fun
In February 2020, Burnside City Council set up its first Modular Pumptrack for a 12-month trial – four years later, the initiative is still running.
Talitha McDougall from the City of Burnside shares her experience:
Was the project a success overall?
Talitha: Absolutely. During the first 12-month trial period, we counted a total of 550,856 laps at four different locations. After the trial, the city council decided to keep the modular pump track as a portable facility that can be distributed around the city due to its huge popularity.
What kind of feedback has the community given?
Talitha: We have had fantastic feedback through feedback forms at each location. People love the pump track and appreciate its community-building aspect. The Modular Pumptrack is used and loved by children, teens and parents on skateboards, bikes and scooters.
How does the dismantling and conversion with delivery work?
Talitha: Dismantling and relocation is carried out by our on-site staff and is a seamless process. Typically, the track is dismantled, packed onto a truck and transported to the next location, with the whole process taking just a couple of days. The flexible design of the pump track allows us to adapt the layout of each location and create new tracks that offer visitors a new riding experience.
What will the annual cost of the pump track be?
Talitha: Each relocation involves a small cost for on-site staff labor, occasional remedial work, and ad hoc maintenance. All of these costs are manageable and covered by our existing operating budgets. Compared to investing in a permanent skate park, purchasing a modular pump track facility made financial sense as it provides a skateable facility that allows demand to be gauged without a large capital outlay.
What challenges or obstacles have arisen during the implementation or operation of the project?
Talitha: One challenge was explaining to the community what a pump track is, as the concept was new to many. In addition, dealing with potential problems such as vandalism and noise required transparency and open communication. Fortunately, we only encountered minor problems, which we addressed immediately.
