Trevor Moss restores an old bike to its former glory. He plans to hand bikes out to local kids who might not own a bike but who would love to have one to use at the new pump track.
Dargaville pumped about new multi-use track
A new multi-use pump track designed by a BMX Olympian is taking shape at Selwyn Park in Dargaville - thanks to funding from a generous donor.
The track will complement other sporting facilities at the park which include a swimming pool, skate park, fitness trail, basketball courts and children's playground.
Project manager Trevor Moss said, "We chose to build a pump track because it's something the whole community can use and it's all about fitness and getting people moving.
"It's been an absolute joy seeing the project progress and we're already getting heaps of positive feedback, we've had kids jumping the fence already wanting to give it a go."
BMX Olympian and former Northlander Trent Jones designed the track, "so it's really designed to inspire young people and encourage them to spend their time in a positive way", said Moss.
"In saying that there is no age limit on it either. I will be down there on my bike. I won't be doing the crazy 180 back flips, but I'll be there. Your partner or your grandparents can use it, it's for all ages."
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Local residents are also overwhelmingly supportive of the new track.
Ema Soole said her family can't wait.
"I know my boys will want to go here daily, we are so stoked it's getting built here."
Ayla White said on a post to Facebook that she drove past earlier in the week. "It looks awesome. Will be bringing the kids down."
The project itself only recently got off the ground, but it was the late Robin Branch who Moss said first ignited the vision for a fitness hub almost 40 years ago, when he donated funds with the stipulation they went towards creating a permanent sporting facility in the region.
"Branch's dream was for a fitness hub and originally he wanted funds to go towards the Memorial Park sports complex, but that didn't go ahead, so we basically held on to the money until something came along.
"So when Sportsville [at Memorial Park] came up, we gave them quite a large sum, which helped them out. But because Sportsville was more around team sports, we felt that some of the funds should go towards something of a freestyle sport as well."
Moss said it was decided it should go towards a pump track, which wasn't necessarily for bikes, it was skateboards, skates, scooters, remote control cars as well.
"So it's multi use, it can be used by anything with wheels on."
Moss said local contractors gave generous discounts, some even working for free.
So that's why it was sad to see the track had been vandalised midway through construction.
John Vuletich, owner of Vuletich Construction, had been laying the concrete when someone drew into the concrete and pushed in nails.
However, that was fixed and the circuit was still on track for completion in two weeks time (weather dependent).
Moss said they wanted to encourage its use, so he and others in the community have been collecting secondhand bikes and restoring them.
"We are going to try to recycle as many bikes from the recycle centre as we can, we'll give them a bit of a brief rebuild and they will be taken down on a day when people can use them."
There are also plans for the upcycled bikes to be given away come open day.
"They're mainly small bikes but we have an adult bike as well to give away, too."
Moss is open to receiving donations of old bikes for open day.
"If it's got a broken chain or flat tyre that's fine, so if there are any people out there who wish to donate old bikes they can."
To donate a bicycle to give away at the Dargaville multi-use pump track on open day contact Trevor Moss on the Kaipara Cycling Facebook page.
Public litter bins removed - because of fly tipping
Fly tipping has led to the removal of Te Kopuru's only public litter bin - but some locals question the council's decision.
In a statement to the Advocate the Kaipara District Council said the bin was removed because it was often overflowing and being used for household dumping of rubbish.
"Due to repeated abuse, we've removed the bin."
But the council hasn't stopped there, they've also stated that bins in Dargaville have been removed and that more public litter bins may be removed if they continue to be abused.
"Overflowing bins on the streets in Dargaville are having the same issue. Household and business abuse causes them to fill faster than they should. These are also being reviewed and some have been removed."
Te Kopuru resident Sarah Searle owns the dairy building and joinery, she took to Facebook to share her frustration and asked the community how they could get the bin reinstated.
Speaking to the Advocate Searle said she disagreed with the council's decision to remove the bin.
"We need a place for our tourists, bike riders, etc, to put their little bits of rubbish in, kids using the local dairy and for people disposing of junk mail."
Searle said she had spent a fortune clearing the site next to the dairy before putting units on and most of that was stuff just biffed there over the years.
"I trained our local kids when we were in the shop to always use the litter bin, it's no longer there so already the rubbish is piling up again on my property."
Te Kopuru resident Walter Howearth is "disgusted" by the council's decision.
"It should never have been removed. What we need are more bins, not less."
Howearth said he had come back home to Te Kopuru after living nine years in the Coromandel.
"Down there you have your wheelie bins, your recycle bins and everything gets picked up and to take recycling to the rubbish is free, your fridges are free. It's ridiculous what we have to pay for here.
"I feel the council are ripping the community off, they're making money off people having to pay to get every fridge, every freezer that gets dumped."
However Te Kopuru dairy manager Prignesh Desai supports the council's decision because it had become a health and safety issue.
"People were throwing out fish skeletons and other leftover bait and food items, and over the summer it was just overflowing with maggots."
Ultimately he said it was a good decision to remove the bin.
"Every Monday they [KDC] would replace the bag and by Tuesday the bin was full.
"Sometimes our customers come in and tell us it's overflowing, the customers were always complaining."
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said the bin was misused.
"There would be disposable nappies, beer bottles, you name it, it was there. The bin was always overflowing. It just turned into a tipping bin and it's been like that for as long as I can remember"
The Advocate has previously reported that residents were concerned about the way rubbish was being collected in the region, with many wanting costly rubbish bags that broke too easily to be replaced by wheelie bins.
A KDC spokesman said this was being looked into.
"In reference to the wheelie bins for domestic households, a paper looking at options will be going to the council in the next couple months. Central government Waste Minimisation Proposals and potential changes to the Waste Levy have meant we're needing to hold our process to ensure we can deliver what's expected for our communities and to meet government standards."
The hīkoi is expected to arrive at Parliament around midday.