The Merimbula skate community has big plans for a new skate park at Ford Oval.
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The Merimbula skate park committee are waiting with anticipation for council to approve the proposal on December 12.
Committee member Peter O’Keefe said they are very confident towards the approval of the park and have begun discussing ideas of fundraising.
“We have spoken to lots of businesses and residents in the area who have overwhelmingly supported the project,” Mr O’Keefe said.
“We are 99 percent sure council will vote yes for it, we have many different ideas of fundraising but hope to receive bulk of the money from state government and council.”
Committee members are pushing for a “state of the art” facility, estimated to cost over $600,000.
Veteran skateboarder and concreter Fin Askew said he will place a tender proposal for the design and construction of the park which is estimated to take three to six months to build.
Mr Askew helped to build and design numerous skate park projects in the shire, including; Bega, Cobargo and Pambula.
“We want this one to be bigger and better. There is to be cool colours in the concrete to blend in with the landscape, heaps of hips, walls, ledges and a bowl,” he said.
Also included in the plans are surrounding necessities such as; shading, seating and a drinking fountain plus the possibility of lights installed for night skating.
After the parks construction is complete, Mr Askew said he is excited to get the South Coast Skate Club back up and running.
“I have always wanted to see a good skate park in this town as a kid, and to be involved in this means a lot, I don’t want to give up yet,” he said.
The idea of a new skate park in Merimbula has been around for many years, although the proposal has only come to fruition over the past 10 weeks.
Committee member Rachel Sully said the proposed location for the new park will attract plenty of interest compared to the old park at Berrambool.
“Ford Oval is perfect for it, with all of the surrounding facilities. It is well lit and in the public eye, whereas the old Merimbula skate park at Berrambool wasn’t,” she said.
“It is a safe place for kids, all I ever see at skate parks is respect.”
The committee expressed the amount of support they had received from businesses and residents in the area, Mr O’Keefe said there are “a million” benefits the skate park will bring to the community.
“Kids need a youth space, skate parks are popping up all over the place around the country because they are super awesome to get kids healthy and active.”
“There are a million things as to why they are brilliant for kids; it builds their confidence, resilience you name it.”
To keep up to date and follow the skate park project join their Facebook group.