A Shellharbour councillor says the number of young people “riding the rails and grinding on various surfaces” outside its new, multimillion-dollar civic centre shows the lack of skate facilities in the immediate area.
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Councillor Peter Moran used debate over funding options for a new skate park in Oak Flats at this week’s council meeting to stress the need for cash to be splashed on infrastructure away from Shellharbour Village.
The skate park in the village is currently undergoing a long-awaited redevelopment, which began in late January and is expected to be completed by the end of June.
Work on the project – worth $630,000 – is about two weeks behind schedule due to inclement weather.
Cr Moran told the meeting he had been made aware the council had $400,000 that wasn’t being spent on the village skate park revamp and said it should be directed to a similar facility elsewhere.
“I think the validity of decisions that council has made in the past in relation to skate facilities can be seen out the front of this facility every afternoon,” Cr Moran told Tuesday night’s meeting.
He said he’d seen a number of skaters in Oak Flats High School uniforms who were “probably going to continue to grind these surfaces here, simply because it can be so difficult to get to Shellharbour Village skate park”.
“Council has, for some reason, taken the determination that the city doesn’t need a skate facility anywhere between Albion Park Rail and Shellharbour,” he said
“That, in effect, cuts out a lot of people who would otherwise use the facility, who are cut off because they don’t have public transport.”
In November, councillors asked staff to prepare a report on the funding options available for a possible future skate park at Oak Flats.
The report was tabled at this week’s meeting and also outlined community consultation about eight previously-identified potential “City East” skate park locations.
Shellharbour Village was chosen as the preferred site in 2015. Mayor Marianne Saliba said there was “certainly a need” for facilities for young people and flagged a skate park could be built near the youth centre at Harrison Park, Shellharbour City.
As for the skaters outside the civic centre – or “hub” as it was once known – Cr Saliba said it was “great to see”.
“I think whilst they’re using it ... there’s less chance of it being vandalised and damaged,” she said.
“I actually think it’s a good thing that they feel connected to our local civic centre.”
Cr Nathan Cattell said the youngsters were making the civic centre their home and “we should accommodate for it”.
“If it means replacing a couple of pieces of wood out the front every now and then we should accommodate for it,” Cr Cattell said.
“They’re our youth, they’re owning the place, they’re not vandalising the place.”