By KATH GANNAWAY
WARBURTON skateboarders are one step closer to the dream of their own skate park.
Board, bike and scooter riders met with the designers, the builders and Yarra Ranges Council on Wednesday 5 February, to get the design process underway.
With a site behind the old CFA station earmarked last year and a lot of groundwork and fund-raising done by the Support The Warburton Skate Park group, spokesperson Suyin Chan said the move to the next stage was exciting for everyone involved.
The design consultation meeting was attended by many of the young people who were at the original community meeting over two years ago, along with some younger, new skaters.
“The feedback was that they were very pleased with the consultation process and felt like they were listened to by the designers,” Ms Chan said.
“They are all looking forward to seeing the draft design.”
Joey Davidson wasn’t holding back on his excitement after attending the meeting.
“That meeting for us … it’s more exciting than Christmas,” he told the Mail.
“It’s so good; we’ve been waiting a very long time, and now we can all see that it’s not only possible but that it’s actually happening.
“It’s a very exciting next step,” he said.
He said it was an interactive process during which the group was shown film and photographs of various skate parks around the world and in Australia, and then invited to select cut-outs of various skate park elements and design their ideal model.
Ms Chan said the community had got behind the project and there was very positive recognition of the active role the young people had played with lobbying, getting petition signatures and letters of support, fund-raising and sticking with it.
She said it was also a positive message for the town’s young people that they were supported in getting a site for the skate park in the middle of town.
“This was the space the boys and the group picked, and it ticks all the boxes in terms of access and facilities,” she said.
“Young people are part of our community and we want them in town as part of that community.”
Yarra Ranges Council’s director Environment and Engineering, Mark Varmalis, said the council would continue discussions with a view to finalising the plans in the next couple of months and begin work mid-year.
“The design process will also take into account the whole area and include provisions for shade and water,” he said.
Mr Varmalis said the council was also reviewing its skate plan for the whole of Yarra Ranges and had been talking with local communities about current skate parks.
“We hope to have a draft skate strategy to present to council for consideration mid-year,” he said.
