Skaters pumped about skate park upgrades
‘OUTDATED’ and ‘not worth using’ were words use to describe Bass Coast’s current skate park facilities.
Bass Coast Shire Council is on a mission to rectify these statements with its Bass Coast Skate Strategy 2017.
Bass Coast is currently home to approximately 5525 people between the ages of five and 25, and council is striving to develop more recreational opportunities for this age bracket.
Wonthaggi records the highest number of young people at 1529, and the skate park is often regarded as a popular meeting place for teenagers. However, its skate facility is dramatically aging and its surface can be considered a safety hazard. Draining issues, graffiti and rust also form part of the problem.
The draft strategy was recently released for public comment, following consultations with the community.
It recommended upgrades and permanent features for Wonthaggi, Inverloch, Grantville, Corinella and Cowes, as well as new facilities for Kilcunda and the San Remo/Newhaven area.
Kilcunda has been putting the pressure on council to build a skate facility in the town for the past year and a half.
A Facebook page was created, featuring posts that outline the importance of recreational facilities for residents and tourists alike.
Kilcunda is one of Bass Coast’s tourism hotspots and the extra attraction would benefit the town.
Kilcunda Community Association secretary Andrea Bolch said Kilcunda was also experiencing an influx of young people moving into the town who were finding they have nothing to do.
“There are a lot of local children with no real facilities. We have the ocean, but it’s not really considering a swimming beach. There would certainly be a benefit for the skaters living here who always need to rely on buses or their parents to get to other skate parks in the shire,” she said.
“We are keen to see it built and the skate strategy has identified the need.”
The foreshore car park has been identified as the optimum site for the skate park.
Ms Bolch said this project could further drive the need for a pedestrian crossing across the Bass Highway, which would be another great benefit for the residents and tourists of Kilcunda.
Mayor Cr Pamela Rothfield said the strategy would consider all wheeled sports, including skateboarding, scooters, rollerblading, roller-skating and BMX riding.
Feedback for the strategy recently closed. Council will now continue to work with the community and specialists to determine locations and develop concept designs for new and upgraded parks.
New facilities needed: Wonthaggi’s facility was just one of the skate parks identified for upgrades in the Bass Coast Skate Strategy 2017. Pictured using the current facility is Phillip Island’s Taylor Sturges with Wonthaggi’s Jordan Brown and Kylie Donaldson.
Short URL: /?p=23379
Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Nov 28 2017. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
