An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riding school for children will open in Western Australia’s Great Southern region despite heated opposition from nearby residents.
Key points:
Philip Morgan has won council approval to open an ATV training school for children near Albany
His neighbours are opposed to the project, citing noise concerns
The council believes the initiative could save lives
ATVs, including side-by-sides and quad bikes, are off-road vehicles often used on rural properties.
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), quad bike accidents are the leading cause of death and severe injury on Australian farms.
It said six Australians had been killed in quad bike accidents so far this year, and there were 150 quad bike deaths between 2011 and 2020 in Australia.
That included 23 children.
Philip Morgan on Tuesday won a long-running battle to get an ATV training ground approved on his Youngs Siding property, 40km west of Albany.
Mr Morgan needed approval from the City of Albany before creating his dream retirement venture — something he hoped would also save lives.
However, his neighbours told councillors they were concerned about the noise the vehicles would create and urged them to reject the proposal.
Saving lives
Mr Morgan said he wanted to teach kids how to ride ATVs safely following numerous farm deaths involving them.
