A dirt jump is an elevated structure made from compacted soil that is designed for a BMX or mountain bike. A dirt jump consists of a take-off ramp where riders build up speed and a landing ramp where they touch down. Jumps can vary in size, ranging from smaller tabletop jumps suitable for beginners to large gaps designed for professionals.

We are introducing a pilot program of temporary dirt jumps at Painted Hills Recreation Reserve. We are working with Youth Services Australia and local BMX riders to create a space where our community can be creative and showcase their dirt jump building skills.

The dedicated area may include jump lines, tabletops, gap jumps, whale tails, berms and more.

We hope this program will create a positive future for mountain bike and BMX enthusiasts and our broader community.

Through Council’s feasibility assessment, multiple reserves across Doreen were assessed for their suitability. Painted Hills Recreation Reserve was selected due to its central position within Doreen. It is within easy riding and walking distance of shops, public transport and schools. The park itself has existing facilities that are well used, including sports grounds, pavilions and is the home of the Doreen United Soccer Club.

Yes. The contractor, along with Council, will undertake a series of pop-ups and workshops to ensure riders get to be involved in the design of the facility.

Council also intends to hold ‘learn to dig’ days for riders to learn about constructing dirt jumps.

The overall maintenance will be undertaken by Council; however, the day-to-day maintenance will be undertaken by the users.

Council will run training sessions so that riders can assist with the jumps’ upkeep.

The City of Whittlesea’s Cycling Sport and Skate Strategy 2015-2025 identifies that up to 70,000 residents within the Whittlesea LGA are likely to skate, scooter or cycle by 2025.

Cycling and skating for sport and recreation includes BMX, mountain biking, dirt jumping, road and track racing, as well as skateboarding, inline and quad skating.

In 2020, a petition calling for the construction of a dirt jumps track in Doreen attracted more than 1000 signatures.

As part of Council’s commitment to improving facilities for cyclists and skaters to encourage more people to exercise outdoors, Council has worked with the people behind the petition to make the track a reality.

After careful consideration, Council has decided that it will remove any illegally built dirt jumps, including those at Janefield Conservation Reserve, Lauries Field Conservation Area and Quarry Hills Parkland.

Illegally built dirt jumps pose a risk to the environment and the people who use them.

Dirt jumps are often found in areas with vulnerable or endangered plant species that can be damaged or destroyed during either the creation or use of the jumps. Unauthorised dirt jumps will be removed once the new pilot dirt jumps are built.

Unauthorised construction of dirt jumps on Council land has become more common over the last three years. This has also been experienced by many other councils in Australia.

While we support young people getting outdoors and active, getting their hands dirty and being creative, we also have a responsibility to manage community safety and protect our local environment. Council officers will now be monitoring this activity and will take measures to remove any newly constructed or existing jumps as required.

Rider-built dirt jumps are often deemed unsuitable due to the way they are built. They are commonly made with unsuitable materials such as bricks, old pieces of timber and metal.

When community members build their own jumps, Council cannot ensure that what has been built is safe – either in the design or construction. It’s not just the jumps themselves, but the holes where dirt has been dug up to construct the jumps. These often become the major hazard.

We need to make sure that anything built on Council land is as safe as possible – for both users and passers-by. When we construct recreational areas, we work with engineers and professionals, adhering to guidelines and safety regulations.

Furthermore, Council has a commitment to environmental and cultural heritage protection.

Safety isn’t our only concern with the jumps. We need to consider the environmental impacts and what others in the community want, including nearby residents and other users of the space. While an open space may seem like a good place to build jumps, other park users or residents with properties that surround that area may not like the idea of having something built so close to their homes without consultation. When we build something, we reach out to those who will be affected by it, especially those living close by to consider everyone’s feedback.

Other dirt jumps will be removed if they are deemed unsuitable including jumps that impact the safety of other users in the community space, and those that are constructed in conservation areas that have been set aside to protect native vegetation and the wildlife they support.

While there will always be some level of risk associated with any skate, MTB trail, or BMX facility, we can manage the risk, by having facilities professionally designed, engineered, and built, and regularly checking and maintaining them.

There are documented standards and guidelines for building such facilities with the aim of minimising the risk of serious injuries for users. If a facility is built in consultation with experts and regularly inspected and maintained, the risk of injury can be better managed. These facilities are also often built in areas with better access for emergency vehicles in the event of an injury to a user.

We acknowledge that the building of these dirt jumps in parks and reserves has occurred for many years, and we have also, for many years, regularly removed these jumps if deemed unsuitable. It is common practice for councils to remove unauthorised jumps.

Recently we have seen a lot more jumps being built across the City of Whittlesea increasing the risks to community safety, our local environment and cultural heritage. We have an obligation to respond and manage these risks.

It’s important that we ensure our natural environment, beautiful landscapes and open spaces are being taken care of. Construction of tracks and dirt jumps can result in damage to cultural heritage and natural values including areas that Council are legally obligated to protect. Learn more about the City of Whittlesea’s native vegetation.

We will remove all unsuitable jumps on Council land and rehabilitate the affected areas. We will be talking more with the community to establish a long-term solution with the pilot of the new Doreen dirt jumps to balance issues around safety, supporting recreation and protecting the natural environment.