Council
24 July, 2026
Council settles on pump track location
Yass Valley Council has settled on a site for the Murrumbateman pump track after an emotion-charged and at times fiery debate at Thursday’s meeting.
Yass Valley Council has settled on a site for the Murrumbateman pump track after an emotion-charged and at times fiery debate at Thursday’s meeting.
Council adopted the staff recommendation and endorsed the site of the southern arena within the Murrumbateman Recreation Grounds as the preferred site for construction of the track.
Deputy mayor Kristin Butler – who moved the staff recommendation – rejected any suggestion that the decision was being rushed or that it was a ‘thought bubble’.
She said the Murrumbateman Pump Track Club had been working on the project for more than a decade.
“Twelve years is a very slow rush,” she said.
She said the club wasn’t asking for money and was simply asking for certainty moving forward.
Cr Butler said more than 300 people had signed a petition in favour of the southern arena location.
“That is the community speaking plainly and we should not wave it away,” she said.
Cr Butler acknowledged that that there was a difference of opinion on where the track should be located and that some people had been calling for a Murrumbateman masterplan before a decision on the pump track was made.
However, she said division was a “normal part” of community life.
“Even with a masterplan we will still have division.”
She said the pump track would still need to go through the normal DA process and residents would have further opportunity to comment.
Cr David Rothwell also spoke in favour of the recommendation.
He said the pump track would be a “magnificent thing” not only for Murrumbateman but for the wider community.
Cr Fleur Flanery – who spoke against the recommendation – said groups in Murrumbateman were being pitted against one another in the absence of a masterplan.
She said council should be directing its energies into a masterplan “so everyone knows what’s happening”.
“Let’s grow up, let’s be mature, let’s have a discussion about the whole of Murrumbateman,” she said.
“Let’s not make future problems.”
Cr Alvaro Charry said he was disappointed the issue had caused such a deep divide in the Murrumbateman community.
He said it was an excellent idea and something that council and the community should be celebrating.
He commended staff on their transparency, accountability and the depth of analysis behind the recommendation.
Cr David Carter voted against the recommendation on the grounds of safety.
“I do hope this is built – I just don’t think this is the right place.”
Cr Carter said police had previously expressed concern about the potential for anti-social behaviour in the area and nothing had changed.
Cr Allan McGrath said he was a strong believer in council/community partnerships and this was an opportunity that shouldn’t be “kicked down the road”.
He said volunteers were willing to take on the task of building the track and they should be given the opportunity to do so.
Cr Adrian Cameron – speaking against the recommendation – said the pump track was a $1 million development with no real funding source.
He said grant funding wouldn’t happen overnight so there was “no rush to get the project up and running”.
Cr Cameron said a masterplan was something that had been missing in Murrumbateman “for decades”.
It is something that should be done now and it should ‘piggyback’ on the Murrumbateman Settlement Plan.
By making a decision on the pump track now, he said, council would be cementing division in the Murrumbateman community “for decades to come”.
Cr Cecil Burgess spoke in favour of the recommendation and said the pump track would be the “best thing” for Murrumbateman.
Mayor Jasmin Jones said there was very committed group of people behind the project who “just need the space to get on with the job”.
She acknowledged there was a lot of hard work still to be done “before the sweet ride ahead” and wished the people involved “wind on their back, oil on their chains and air in their tyres”.
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