UPDATE
Read the Bagot Park For Now and Future Generations document prepared by community members.
City of Darwin hands back $8m at request of CM.
“On the 21 July 2020, the Lord Mayor received correspondence from the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, stating that “as it is now clear that both the cycling community and local residents are very strongly opposed to the velodrome redevelopment project in its current form” and is requesting COD return an amount of $8M from the funding agreement for the Velodrome project”
Community interferes with COD project!
“Interference in the project from persons outside of COD and the NTG has resulted in a lack of clarity in the project deliverables under the funding agreement by both the Friend of Bagot Park and the Cycling community resulting in diametrically opposed views as to what the Confidential Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda 28 July 2020 Item 26.4 Page 7 project outcomes were to be. There is a risk that COD’s reputation as an organisation that is able to deliver projects that meet with community objectives may be tarnished as a result of this interference.”
Our empasis above.
Read the report here: confidential_late_agenda_28_july_ordinary_council_meeting
Friends of Bagot Park are opposed to the NT Government and Darwin City Council’s plan to construct a Cycling Precinct on all of the existing vacant parkland in our suburban-based recreational park. The NT Government has funded the project at a cost $10.5m.
We believe that the park should be a great place to picnic, celebrate family milestones, get active and attend an event, a place that everyone can share and enjoy. Many residents purchased their homes in this area because they were drawn to the appeal of the open parkland space. We all need a space to take a breath.
Residents are confused, angry, frustrated and disappointed with not being involved in any part of the decision-making and planning process and want the park to remain as open parkland.
TAKE ACTION
We urge you to take action. Save your Bagot Park now and for future generations. Saving Bagot Park includes:
- Locating the Velodrome and Cycle Precinct elsewhere
- Rezoning all vacant land as Public Open Space
- Developing a “Whole of Bagot Park Master Plan”
- Resolving traffic and parking problems
- Beautifying the park with mass planting of trees native to the area
- Repairing and revamping verges with attractive landscaping
- Engaging with Millner residents on future developments
Begin by signing the petition here: Save Your Bagot Park petition.
Next write to the politicians using this on-line email Page: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/save-your-bagot-park?source=direct_link&
Call or visit your electorate representative. Find out who your representative is here: NT MLA Contact Details and here
City of Darwin Aldermen Contacts here:
Residents are opposed to the original concept plan that includes:
- Rebuilt velodrome
- Bike Skills flat track with jumps, ranging from 4m wide to 8m wide
- Criterium (race) asphalt track, 3-metres wide with connection points to pedestrian paths, and
- 2-metre wide Pump Track with continuous loops and mounds.
Despite consistent efforts to gain information from the City of Darwin, we have not received formal acknowledgement or details of the plans other than the original drawing of the concept plan.
The main reasons for opposition to this project includes:
- Neither a Feasibility Study nor a Master Plan for the park in its entirety has been developed
- Traffic, parking and safety issues remain unresolved
- Duplication of infrastructure for two major sporting organizations
- Significant reduction of the entire open parkland
- Little or no engagement with Millner residents, and
- Bagot Park is an inappropriate park to be developed as a Cycling Precinct
The City of Darwin Council’s Functions and Objectives include providing for the interests and well-being of individuals and groups within the council area and to act in the best interests of the community as a whole. The NT Government also has a responsibility to respect the needs and aspirations of the constituents of the Millner community.
We need the NT Government and the City of Darwin to be accountable to their citizens.
BACKGROUND
Bagot Park is a large recreational park in Millner and provides an escape for the small pocket of homes bordered by Bagot Road and McMillans Road (major highways), Sabine Road and the service road of Old McMillans Road. Bagot Park is home to a local soccer club which uses the park on a daily basis and an existing velodrome in a poor state of repair.
Millner is an established, small suburb with many old Darwin residents, located 10 km from the city.
Adjacent to the football ovals and velodrome is open parkland which provides a buffer zone from noise and pollution from motor vehicles on McMillans Road, an arterial road leading to and from Darwin city. Part of this parkland is zoned as OR (Organized Recreation) and part PS (Public Open Space). Bagot Park is recognized and admired for its open space and shady trees which is reflective of its entry sign tagged, “Where nature and recreation meet”. People use the park as a place to wander and reflect, exercise, walk with their families, exercise their dog/s and enjoy the birdlife.
ZONING
The NT Planning Act states that development in Zone PS should be limited to that which has minimal adverse impact (if any) on adjoining or nearby property. Development of land in Zone OR is to be limited to that which is consistent with the recreational opportunities of the land. We believe that the proposed Cycling Precinct development of Bagot Park will have a major adverse impact on the adjacent residential area.
Old McMillans Road is a narrow service road and traffic congestion, parking and safety are major problems. Noise, pollution, night car lights, loss of park space, loss of huge old trees are other important but unresolved concerns. The unplanned sites for additional and duplicated buildings add to a visual mishmash of buildings within the same park. (Ref: Objection to the Proposal of the Development of a Bicycle Precinct at Bagot Park)
The zoning of the parkland needs to be changed to PS – Public Open Space where the land use is to provide areas for recreational activity for public use and enjoyment and which has minimal adverse impact on adjoining or nearby property.
The quality of our neighbourhoods, towns and cities has a significant impact on our daily lives. The open spaces of Bagot Park provide quality to the Millner neighbourhood.
FUNDING
NT Government has funded the project and is working in partnership with the City of Darwin who will deliver the project. In February 2020, the City of Darwin appointed a consultancy engineering firm, Cardno as Project Manager.
CONSULTATION
Pending a community consultation, the City of Darwin Council agreed in principle to the Cycling Precinct and, in April 2019, conducted a community survey based on the original concept plan. The survey comprised of yes/no questions with some room for comment. Friends of Bagot Park submitted a written and detailed submission outlining their reasons for their objections to the proposed cycling precinct.
Friends of Bagot Park analysed the survey results which indicated a heavy skew from cyclists’ supporting the cycling precinct. The result was reflective of a direct correlation with the larger number of cyclists’ respondents who used the velodrome, compared to the small population of people who live in the area. The City of Darwin reported an overwhelming response in favour of the Cycling Precinct. Further correspondence was submitted to the City of Darwin detailing the flaws and inaccuracies in the Consultation Outcomes Report. The majority of residents’ responses indicated that they did not want the Cycling Precinct to go ahead.
26th February 2020 Scott Waters, CEO, City of Darwin, email to Friends of Bagot Park: “Council officers are currently working with the procured consultant engineering firm to deliver detailed design as per the consultation that occurred last year. Once this has been completed stakeholder engagement will occur.”
Although both representatives of the NT Government and Council advised they would engage with the Friends of Bagot Park, apart from the original community consultation, neither the Friends of Bagot Park nor residents have been offered the opportunity to engage and discuss any plans involving the park development. We were only briefed on the Consultation Outcomes,
PLANNING PROGRESS TO DATE (as we know it)
Since the early planning stages and the original concept plan on which the community survey was based, there appears to have been many changes to the proposed project. Despite Friends of Bagot Park ongoing questions and requests for more information, the residents of Millner still do not know what is to be included in Velodrome Project.
Infrastructure for the velodrome including an additional car park, an amenities block, grandstand, storage area and clubrooms are rumoured as future developments and, although not confirmed, the plans for the pump track and criterium track are part of the cycling precinct design and may also be included in the cycling precinct.
TRAFFIC AND PARKING PROBLEMS
Bagot Park is one of the home grounds for football in Darwin and is used on a daily basis. During the season, on competition days, the overflow from up to 400+ vehicles park wherever they can find space as the existing car park is too small.
Traffic congestion occurs on all neighbouring roads. Additional vehicles using the cycling precinct will exacerbate the traffic and parking problems. Residents do not believe that the Traffic Study Report accurately reflects several of the traffic and parking issues at Bagot Park. A discussion with residents about these issues would have gone a long way to a better understanding and reporting of them.
The identified need for additional parking would result in more parkland allocated to construct another car park. Construction of oval lighting for night-time training and football matches is in progress, intensifying the constant use of local roads. A concept plan has been presented to the City of Darwin showing an upgrade of the current car park with all the shade trees removed to create maximum parking places. Removal of trees to develop a hot bitumen car park adjacent to residences is unacceptable planning.
10th December 2019 Traffic Study and Road Safety Audit in Response to Velodrome Precinct Proposals: Author: Executive Manager Technical Service: Ordinary Council Meeting “According to the Capital Grant Funding Agreement (Agreement) for the design and construction of the Velodrome upgrades and lighting, the scope includes the construction of a new velodrome, bike skills area, club and facilities, storage, car parking and landscaping.
“This assessment also confirmed that the car parking expected as a result of the proposed new developments in the area would exceed the capacity of the proposed new Old McMillans Road car park”
“All of these roads are capable of accommodating to 3,000 vehicles per day so the current levels of traffic are comfortably accommodated”
“There is therefore a potential parking shortfall on-site to the order of 26 bays. However, there is potential space on site to provide an additional estimated 30 to 40 angle parking bays along the future velodrome track which would result in the overall parking scheme being able to accommodate the total predicted parking generation.”
MASTER PLAN
For a park development of this magnitude and diversity, at a cost of almost $12m, there must be a Master Plan for Bagot Park in its entirety. The development of a Master Plan should involve all stakeholders including interested groups, representatives from the wider community, Friends of Bagot Park, sporting groups and other relevant stakeholders. There has been no Master Plan developed for Bagot Park despite the City of Darwin recognising the need for Master Plans in its Sports Field Plan 2016-2026, which cites under the heading of “Functionality Enhancements” p9:
- “Develop Master Plans for individual sporting ovals”, and
- “Ensure Master Plans consider opportunities to improve the functionality of each site.”
ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
There are plans for significant additional infrastructure for Bagot Park. Current buildings include a public toilet and a kiosk for the Football Club. Plans are underway for the sport of football to construct, at Bagot Park, a “club house” with male and female change rooms, operations room, referees change room/storage area with confirmed Commonwealth funding.
Football NT’s planned infrastructure combined with the Velodrome plans for an amenities block, storeroom, an additional car park and a possibly a future clubroom and grandstand means unnecessary duplication of buildings within the park and does not reflect good planning. A Master Plan would have been in alignment with best practice and considered these infrastructure requirements along with any plans for future development of the park thus avoiding unnecessary duplication and ongoing frustration and dissatisfaction with ad hoc and poor planning.
CONCLUSION
BAGOT PARK IS AT RISK!
Open parkland will be filled with a maze of ugly 2 to 8-metre wide gravel and black asphalt cycle tracks. An additional car park and duplicated infrastructure will absorb our treasured park and become a blight on our open space.
Residents and members of the local community will no longer be able to enjoy the park as previously enjoyed.
The new velodrome with all the additional facilities and cycling elements belongs elsewhere.
Please help us to save Bagot Park now and for the generations to come by signing our petition “Save Your Bagot Park”
FOOTNOTES
NOTE Footnote links to be appended over next few days, please return to read
The following documents have been used to support our claims:
1. Velodrome Precinct Proposal – Community Consultation Fact Sheet City of Darwin
2. Objection to the Proposal of the Development of a Bicycle Precinct at Bagot Park
3. Response to Consultation Outcomes – Friends of Bagot Park: Letter to City of Darwin
4. Questions from Friends of Bagot Park: City of Darwin’s Responses
5. Traffic Study Report
6. Friends of Bagot Park Media Release
7. Friends of Bagot Park – Wants and Needs: Provided to Minister Lawler on Request
8. Letter to the Editor – NT News: Millner Resident
9. City of Darwin Sports field plan 2016-2026
10. Friends of Bagot park – Our position – given to Joel Bowden, MLA for Johnston Electorate
11. Photos of Parking
12. Photos of Bagot Park
13. NT Planning Scheme – Index of Zones
14. Bagot Park Action Taken Timeline
