Cringila Hills receives new picnic shelter as work continues

Jump on your bike and pack the sandwiches and snacks, Wollongong City Council has completed work on a new picnic shelter at Cringila Hills Recreation Park.

The newly developed Cringila Hills Recreation Precinct has added a brand-new picnic shelter to its amenities which has been jointly funded by the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program, with an additional $20K in funding from Mr Paul Scully MP through the Community Building Partnerships grants.

We’re pleased to share that the new picnic shelter, located right at the opening of the Cringila Hills Recreation Park mountain bike trails, is now open and ready for use.

The picnic shelter contains bike racks, tables and seating—making it the perfect place for mountain bike riders and visitors to the Cringila Hills playground, to take a break and enjoy the site.

At the same time, work continues on the mountain bike skills park and an asphalt pump track which are expected to be completed in winter 2022, pending favourable weather conditions.

Image: Works continue on the asphalt pump track - pictured above.

“Council is pleased to share this update on the Cringila Hills project and we’re confident this new asset will be hugely popular with the community,” Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.

“Already we’re seeing a variety of different bike riders, including young families and children, enjoying the completed mountain bike trails and walking areas. The new picnic shelter will offer a place for people to meet, rest and have something to eat.

“The Cringila Hills Recreation Park Precinct is a massive project that, once completed with the new skills park and pump track, will offer great opportunities for riders of all abilities to improve their skills.”

“I was pleased to be able to secure $20,000 from the 2021 Community Building Partnership (CBP) Grants for the picnic shelter as part of the Cringila Hills project”, Paul Scully MP, Member for Wollongong, said.

“This picnic shelter will help make sure that Cringila Hills is a family-friendly and user-friendly as possible for surrounding residents and visitors.

“The CBP grants provides a great opportunity each year to help get projects for local sporting groups, community organisations, charities and Council, off the ground.”, Mr Scully said.

“Wollongong has achieved international recognition as a UCI Bike City and we’re now really seeing our community enjoying the benefits and engaging positively with the mountain bike trails and other cycling projects that are featuring all around Wollongong,” Cr Bradbery said.

“The trails are just one piece of the cycling puzzle and Council has been implementing a number of key projects to improve access to cycling including the pop-up cycling lanes in Wollongong, Towradgi, Port Kembla and Thirroul; local dirt bike tracks in our suburbs; and construction of the new criterium track in Unanderra.’’

Department of Planning and Environment Executive Director Public Spaces Caroline Butler-Bowdon said the NSW Government’s $250 million Public Space Legacy Program was the biggest injection of funding for public spaces in a generation.

“This program is the first of its kind in NSW and demonstrates state and local government working together to create a legacy of beautiful public spaces that communities can enjoy for decades to come,” Ms Butler-Bowdon said.

“We’re supporting Councils to create fantastic outcomes for communities now and into the future, while also keeping people in jobs and the economy moving as we respond to the impacts of the pandemic.”

Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle said that so far there has been a huge response to the opening of the Cringila Hills mountain bike trails.

“The completed mountain bike trails have been massively popular with people of all ages and abilities. We’ve spoken with people who’ve travelled from outside Wollongong to visit Cringila Hills and make the most of the over 11 kilometres of trails,” Mr Doyle said.

“It’s always really exciting for Council when we receive such a positive community response on a project. So, we’re looking forward to unveiling the mountain bike skills park and asphalt pump track once they’re completed later this year. In the meantime, enjoy the trails and make the most of this world-class facility.

“This project and all the wide-ranging work we’re doing to improve cycling opportunities in our city are part of our commitment to support and foster bike riding opportunities. Our efforts are applauded internationally, too, as we’re the only UCI-recognised Bike City in the southern hemisphere. This is a huge coup, and we’re keen to share our city’s growing enthusiasm for cycling with the rest of the world during the UCI Road World Cycling Championships in September this year.”

The Cringila Hills Recreation Park is a free council facility open to the public 7 days a week.

The Cringila Hills picnic shelter is jointly funded by the NSW Government Public Spaces Legacy Program and the NSW Government Community Building Partnerships grants.

The Cringila Hills bike trails have been proudly funded by the Commonwealth Government under the Local Roads & Community Infrastructure Program in association with Wollongong City Council.

- Edited Thursday 24  February 2022.