Skaters around Nambucca shouted out in celebration on Thursday, when Nambucca Shire Council approved a plan for a skate park to be built at Coronation Park.
The fight for a skate park has been ongoing for almost 20 years, and local youth worker Shayne Teece told council’s February 7 meeting it was time to invest in the young people of the community.
“Approving the development application at Coronation Park will help rebuild a good relationship between council, the local youth and the community,” he said.
A Coronation Park skate park would fulfil the wishes of local skaters, because it was close to amenities, the town, beaches, and other sports, he said.
Valla Beach mother Gloria Penny said the move would open up opportunities for local youths, with skateboarding growing as a professional sport and hefty sponsorships available for talented riders.
“Skaters will be here, whether there’s a skate park or not, they’re not going away,” she said.
Ms Penny’s sons, 12 and 14-year-olds, are avid skaters. She told the fortnightly council meeting that her sons were lucky because, at Valla Beach, there was a skate park for the youth and they were not forced to skate on the streets.
“On the streets, it’s a danger to residents, skaters and drivers,” she said.
Coronation Park was safe and very central.
Most of all, Ms Penny said she would much rather her sons out on skateboards than on the lounge at home, with an X-box glued to their hands.
Mr Teece said it was positive the sport was being recognised for its ability to take young people out of the house and keep them fit – skateboarding was on track to be included in the Olympic Games.
The council vote, in favour of approving the development
application, took some time to sink in to the crowd of skaters in the council chambers.
When it did, a shout of joy went up and the skaters celebrated on the front lawn of the council’s Macksville chambers.
Some of those celebrating were not old enough to remember the time when the campaign for a skate park began, but were looking forward to enjoying the planned facilities at the northern end of Coronation Park.
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