Clive Kids Get BMX Track

A BMX track has been created at Clive near the boat ramp and is the result of a positive campaign by local young people. The BMX track at the end of Hicks Lane over the stopbank has been created by the Clive Community Group on Hawke's Bay Regional Council river berm land.

David Sykes, a member of both the Clive community group and the Clive business group, said that local people really got behind the new initiative. The young people had put together a petition with 350 signatures asking for a BMX track and gave it to the community group. At least 20 young people were at the meeting that discussed the proposal.

“The kids had been asking for a bike track. They just wanted a pile of dirt to jump on and their parents were more than happy to get them off the busy roads. There was great community support for it and lots of people came out to help when we started construction.”

“Within ten minutes – or less! - of the bob cat finishing the track, the kids were right there test riding it,” he said.

Mr Sykes said that the track came together really quickly, with soil found from other works and local people donating equipment and manpower.

“The kids helped me design the track. It has a 2m take off ramp, a table top, riffles and a fast curving bank. And it has a good compact and fast surface now, thanks to the amount of use it has had. It’s a great asset for the young people in Clive.”

Riders from as young as 3 years up to about 45 years have been having a go on the new track.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council operations engineering officer, Vince Byrne, was able to secure the piece of spare land alongside the Clive river for the track. It is near the start of the pathway to Havelock North with the new horse trail.

“It has been a really good project to be involved with and it came together easily thanks to the good will of Clive people. The kids are happy and the Council is pleased to provide them with a bit of space to have some fun.”

While BMX is largely considered an activity for kids, it is an Olympic sport and New Zealanders are in the top ranks of the sport.