Skate park at Meadowbank Park or Eastwood Oval considered
A SKATE park is on the agenda for either Eastwood Oval or Meadowbank Park, but some say the community has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the idea.
Northern District Times
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A SKATE park is on the agenda for either Eastwood Oval or Meadowbank Park, but some say the community has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the idea.
Ryde councillors last week voted to further investigate the Skate Park Working Group’s recommendations of the venues and talk to the community about the location and design.
The Ryde area has two skate facilities – Gladesville Skate Park and the Ivanhoe Estate Skate Park at Macquarie Park.
Skaters say the Gladesville facility is small and the Ivanhoe one, built in the ’90s, is dated.
Skateboarder Ben Drayton, 29, has been on the working group with council staff, councillors and others for more than 12 months.
They considered about 15 venues against criteria such as passive surveillance, distance to residents and others before settling on Eastwood and Meadowbank.
Mr Drayton said many people would use a quality venue.
“We need skate facilities for these non-organised sports,” he said. “This will be constantly used, by anyone at any time. Bike riders, scooters and families.”
Skating had also widened its appeal over the years to people of different ages, according to Mr Drayton.
“Skaters these days work nine to five, and have families,” he said.
“It’s not your typical skater boy down the mall. We have females doing it too.”
He said the skate park proposal was much improved on those from previous years.
However, some councillors said residents at Eastwood and Meadowbank had made clear their opposition to skate parks in previous years.
Cr Sarkis Yedelian recalled plans for a skate park at Meadowbank in 2006, which were later withdrawn due to community concern.
“We had public consultation four times and they were all against it,” he said.
“Nothing has changed.”
Cr Denise Pendleton said the council should revisit other short-listed concepts.
“By going with either one (Eastwood or Meadowbank) we’re going to cause a lot of community concern.”
Councillors Yedelian, Pendleton, Justin Li and Terry Perram all unsuccessfully voted against investigating the two venues.
Cr Roy Maggio, a member of the working group, tabled the motion to investigate the two venues.
He, along with councillors Bill Pickering, Craig Chung, Artin Etmekdjian, Jerome Laxale and Jane Stott, voted in favour.
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