Skate park plans: Council debates asking for public feedback

COUNCILLORS will this week consider releasing the concept design for public exhibition.

A concept design for the proposed Plateau Drive skate park which Ballina Shire Council may place on public exhibition. The council will consider the matter at its March 28 meeting.

CONCEPT plans for a district park including a skate park may be placed on public exhibition.

Ballina Shire Council staff have recommended councillors approve the community feedback process for the park design on Plateau Drive at Wollongbar.

The debate of where to place a skate park on the Alstonville plateau has raged for years, but mayor David Wright stressed the skate park would consume just a fraction of the district park's area and the broader space would have other uses for all facets of the community.

"A couple of people have approached me wanting seniors' exercise equipment,” Cr Wright said.

"They're the sort of things we can finesse.”

Cr Jeff Johnson hoped the project would be progressed this week.

"We've got the money,” he said.

"It's going to be great and hopefully it doesn't get put in the too hard basket like it has been.”

Cr Ben Smith said he was "sceptical” about how the matter would be resolved this week, but hopeful it would be.

"We don't always have the resources to do things,” Cr Smith said.

"This is one of those rare situations where we actually have the money to do something.

"I'm hopeful that I'm surprised on Thursday because I don't want to see it going for another two or three years.

"If it doesn't happen now, nothing will happen on this for the rest of the council term.”

Cr Sharon Parry said she wanted to see both the district park at Plateau Drive established and a skate park "that has passive surveillance”.

But she said other options for the skate park could be further explored.

"I just think it'll be a shame if people make the decision based on administration convenience rather than what's going to be best for the community in 30 or 40 years,” Cr Parry said.

Bianca Urbina from the Wollongbar Alstonville Skate Park group urged councillors to support the recommendation.

"It's an opportunity for these councillors to put it back to the community and see for themselves how much the community really does want a skate park,” she said.

The Wollongbar Progress Association, which has previously opposed that site for the facility, was approached for comment.