The BMX Track on Marius Street will undergo remediation and a track upgrade following its closure on 4 March 2020 after asbestos was found.

Funded by the first phase of the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, the $500,000 remediation project will begin following strict environmental and design approvals.

The upgraded BMX track will be capable of hosting State and National level events thanks to the addition of a new crushed granite capping, which will provide the opportunity for Tamworth to host top level events and bring economic development opportunities to the region.

Construction of the track was completed in March 2023, and received final environmental approvals in July 2023 to open to the public.

Asbestos contamination was discovered at the site by locally-based specialists employed to undertake routine inspections of its facilities. Testing confirmed that Chrysotile and Amosite asbestos was present in a non-friable broken bonded material (fibrous cement sheeting). This means that the track was not considered safe for public use, and was subsequently closed in March 2020.

New funding from the Australian Government has allowed us to begin plans to restore the facility.

• Provide the Tamworth City BMX Club with an improved BMX track, allowing the sport to grow in our region
• Deliver a high quality facility which has the potential to attract new events
• Helping the community bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic through stimulating the local economy with new construction projects

The project will involve two key stages in remediating the BMX track for public use.

• The contaminated surface soil will be removed before topping the area with 100mm of clean fill, to safely encapsulate any remaining asbestos on and around the track in accordance with industry standards and EPA guidelines. The track will then be reshaped, restoring the track to its original function.
• A 100mm capping of crushed granite sand will be applied before being treated with a liquid application to seal the track, creating a superior BMX track capable of hosting State and National level events.

The Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCI), first announced in May 2020, has been developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to support local jobs and businesses during what has been an extremely tough period for the Australian economy.

Upgrading the BMX track has been made possible through $867,000 funding through the LRCI Program, and the Tamworth region has already benefited from over $11.3 million in funding from the program.