Permanent skate park for Adelaide isn’t on agenda for new Liberal State Government

ADELAIDE’S skateboarders and BMX riders and shops have been dealt another blow, as their cries for help look set to continue to go unanswered.

Little Black Bike co-owner Matt Hodgson and BMX rider Max Bowering at the Little Black Bike shop. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

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ADELAIDE’S skateboarders and BMX riders have been dealt another blow, as their cries for help look set to continue to go unanswered.

It’s been a rough few years for street thrillseekers, since the city skate park on North Tce was demolished in 2015 to make way for the UniSA health building.

A temporary skate park was established in the east parklands but it hasn’t been the same for riders and skaters – who have been criticised for damaging seating in the city.

Their hopes were renewed when Labor said it would commit $3 million to fully fund Adelaide City Council’s proposed skate park off West Tce, opposite the Hindley St intersection, if the party won March’s State Election.

But the victors of the election said it wasn’t near the top of its to-do list upon entering Government.

“The new State Government is open to considering proposals however we were elected to deliver a host of other infrastructure projects which we will be prioritising,” a spokesman said.

Little Black Bike shop owner Matt Hodgson, part of an Adelaide City Council-convened user group for Adelaide’s skateboard and BMX community, said it was more frustration for them.

“We are no closer than we are three years ago,” he said.

“We’ve been going to meetings about stuff like this for five years and nothing seems to come of them.”

He said there were two ways the lack of a top quality skate park was causing problems for Adelaide.

“From a business point of view ourselves and Daily Grind (a CBD skate shop) have had it pretty tough once the skate park closed,” he said.

“Since starting the store in 2008 we’d had just over 10% yearly growth. In the year that followed the Park closure our turnover was almost halved and is yet to recover.

“But it’s also social, it was a neutral place where people could come from anywhere and be welcomed.

“It going has changed the whole scene around here, it’s had a much bigger effect than we would have anticipated.”

The Advertisercontacted the council asking if they had any plans to revive the proposed skate park or lobby the State Government to fund it, but did not receive a response.

Opposition Sport Spokeswoman Katrine Hildyard said it would be a missed opportunity if the permanent skate park could not be constructed.

“A skate park in the western parklands will provide excellent recreational opportunities for our young people and it will help to activate an increasingly popular part of the city,” she said. “Young people need accessible public spaces where they can connect with each other and the State Government should stop stalling and get behind our young people by supporting this great project.”