The Hills: Calls for skatepark to capitalise on Olympics fever
Rouse Hill is looming as the next location for a flagship skate park with hundreds of Hills locals throwing their support behind a new facility. Find out how you can help.
Hills Shire
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The skateboarding community is calling for a new skate park in The Hills after the sport’s Olympic debut during lockdown.
Kenthurst mum Kelly Eastman who skates with her husband Brad and two kids Eamon, 8, and Evander, 6, said skate parks have become increasingly popular since lockdown and the Tokyo Olympics.
“Skateboarding has become much more accepted globally, especially with it now part of the Olympics, where an Australian skater Keegan Palmer won a gold medal in Tokyo,” Ms Eastman said.
“Since the lockdowns were introduced there has been a huge influx of people using the skate parks than usual. It has created overcrowding at all skate parks especially the smaller ones,” she added.
Ms Eastman’s son Eamon, 8, who is an avid skateboarder has his eyes set on competing at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and would love a local facility close to home.
“These skateparks create amazing social communities and friendships among skateboarders and scooter riders, and who knows maybe in the future there could be a gold medal won by a skateboarder from the Hills at the Olympics,” Ms Eastman said.
The mother-of-two has now created an online petition calling on The Hills Shire Council to create a quality skate park facility in the area which has attracted almost 200 signatures to date.
She said Covid restrictions have stopped her family, who usually skate every day, going out to skate parks at Meadowbank, Sydney Park, Mona Vale and Greenhills.
“We have now been reduced to only being able to skate Balcombe Heights, which pales in comparison in many ways to these other parks around Sydney,” she said.
“The skate park is basically the size of a single residential block of land and was poorly executed.”
Hills Shire mayor Michelle Byrne said she would work with council to find opportunities for a new skate park in the area.
“Skateboarding is becoming increasingly popular and after seeing Australian skater Keegan Palmer win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, I'm sure many more young people have been inspired to grab their boards to take up the sport,” Cr Byrne said.
“To ensure our children and skate enthusiasts have a place to practice, hone in and craft their skills, I will work with council and my colleagues to investigate opportunities for a new skate facility in our Shire.”
Cr Byrne said Council has identified the “possibility of a future skate park” at Centenary Reserve in Rouse Hill.
“However this is yet to be confirmed through council’s normal budgeting process, where it will need to compete with other community priorities,” she said.
She added: “Council is also working with the State Government in delivering a recreation space as part of its Parks for People Project under a section of the new railway corridor, within Caddies Creek Sports Complex.
“During the design and community consultation stage, an opportunity for a skate facility may be considered as part of the project.”
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