Topham Mall seating damaged by skateboarders who say they have nowhere else to skate
THE recently revamped Topham Mall is already requiring repairs after new seating was damaged by skateboarders — who say they have nowhere else to skate.
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NEW seating in the recently revamped Topham Mall has been damaged by skateboarders — who say they have nowhere else to skate.
The walkway was completed last month as part of the $14.6 million Market to Riverbank Link, a joint Renewal SA and Adelaide City Council project.
Redevelopment began in April and resulted in new paving, plants, improved lighting, public art and street furniture being installed.
But the concrete seating is being used as a makeshift skate park.
The Advertiser has witnessed skateboarders filming tricks on the seating, and children learning how to rollerblade in the thoroughfare on weekends.
The damage includes chips in the concrete, and black scrapes along the front of seats from skateboards, that will be repaired at a yet-to-be-determined cost to city ratepayers.
A Renewal SA spokeswoman said the damage will be remediated as part of the council’s maintenance program.
“While we prefer skaters don’t use them as skating infrastructure, the project team is currently assessing the configuration of the seating benches and existing damage,” she said.
“For the safety and enjoyment of all city users, Renewal SA and the City of Adelaide encourage skaters to use the purpose-built skate facilities in King Rodney Park (Wakefield Rd) and Mary Lee Park (opposite Bowden on Park Tce).”
But the Youth Affairs Council of South Australia said young people have the same right to access and use public spaces as everyone else.
“Young people need spaces in which they can be active and socialise, and public spaces like shopping centres, food courts, public squares and malls are spaces that are viewed as being relatively safe, full of activity and socially convenient.”
YACSA say young people have told them they are upset the central skate park was demolished — and they don’t have anywhere central where they’re allowed to skate.
Bank St traders were informed that metal pieces would not be installed on granite seating in their street — also upgraded as part of the recent Market to Riverbank link — because the area was meant to be inclusive to skaters.
Bonobo Espresso cafe owner Derek Crozier said it was a good decision to allow skating on his street.
“That’s still activating the street, it’s adding diverse age groups, the demographic then is old, young and middle,” he said.
“Instead of just pushing all the young people away saying ‘go somewhere else’ I think it’s good that they’re embracing all different avenues.”
Daily Grind Skate Co manager Sean Flynn said without a city skate park, skaters were looking for an alternative place to skate.
“They took away the skate park and now there is no skate park and they’ve built a temporary one but that’s just not up to standard,” he said.
“There are skate parks in the suburbs but the city is a central hub where people from different areas can meet up.
“Without anywhere to go they will look for other places to skate.”
Mr Flynn said his business has “greatly suffered” because there was no longer a city skate park, and that if council didn’t want people skating, preventive measures “are the only thing that will stop them”.
City councillor David Slama described the damage and subsequent cost to ratepayers as “appalling”.
But said he wasn’t surprised more public infrastructure had been damaged because of elected members and “council’s inability to push the government” into getting a new skate park.
“I don’t know why preventive measures weren’t taken,” Mr Slama said.
In the past, Mr Slama said when council has been put metal on benches it has been labelled as “cruel” because homeless people can’t sleep there — but said more needed to be done.
The State Government and Adelaide City Council are understood to be developing a skate strategy, with the council commissioning a survey of more than 500 people late last year, to inform the location and design or a new skate facility in the city.
The city skate park, formerly located on North Tce, was closed in 2015.