BMX is on the move.
The Dunedin BMX Club will move from its base at Forrester Park and Walton Park, in Fairfield, shapes as its next headquarters.
The club's plan to extend its track at Forrester Park was abandoned in May when asbestos was discovered during excavation.
But a quick reconnaissance of Walton Park has Dunedin BMX Club president Simon Heptonstall convinced the site is perfect for a new 350m track.
''Once we got on site, we thought `let's ask for this piece of land here','' Heptonstall said, adding the club had not looked at any other sites.
The signs look promising.
The Saddle Hill Community Board is happy with the proposal and Dunedin City Council parks and recreation planning manager Jendi Paterson is also supportive, but stressed planning was in the ''very, very early stages''.
''After what has gone on at Forrester Park, BMX is looking for a new home, so we are working with them and Walton Park is just one of the options that we will consider,'' Paterson said.
However, she acknowledged Walton Park was a strong option.
''With the work we've been doing with the new pump track that is going to be installed there ... there are definitely synergies and it is definitely worth us investigating further.''
The next step is to meet the Dunedin BMX Club for an informal discussion and to come up with a plan for the next stage.
If both parties agree to forge ahead, which looks likely, there will be a consultation process to go through so the Fairfield community can have its say.
From Heptonstall's point of view, the club, which is the oldest in New Zealand, is eager to get started.
After next week's meeting with the council, he will be asking members if they are ''all on board and if they are, then we'll get on with it''.
''As soon as the council give us the green light, we are just going to get on with it because we want a new track and we are not going to mess about,'' he said.
The asbestos problem at Forrester Park has been ''capped '' so the track is safe to use in the meantime.
However, it ''is just too small'' for the club's needs.
It has a membership of 80, which is expected to rise this season.
''I see this as an opportunity because we need a bigger site for car parking and a better track. We can start from scratch instead of trying to fix something and we can have a bigger start ramp.
''And at Walton Park there are toilets and changing rooms and we don't have that at Forrester Park, so that is a huge asset.''
The track's estimated cost is between $250,000 and $300,000 and Heptonstall is confident the club can raise the funds.
The track would be a community asset, he said, and not just for the club's use.
''There will be no excuse for BMX New Zealand to not allow us to hold nationals there. The only issue will be the location, in that Dunedin is so far south.''
Ultimately, Heptonstall would like lights at the venue so the club can race at night.
