Greystanes skate park rejected for Gipps Road Sporting Complex
All they have wanted for five years is a skate park at Greystanes. Now after being “disrepected” the initial group of youth requesting the ramp will be eligible to vote in this year’s council elections.
Parramatta
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The brakes have hit the campaign to give Greystanes youth a skate park after a site the council chose was rejected for its isolated location in an industrial area.
After a five-year campaign, Greystanes youths’ skateboards are going back to the drawing board after the Gipps Road Sporting Complex was rejected as an unsuitable site to get the project rolling.
Skate Park for Greystanes spokeswoman Julie Overton said Cumberland Council’s choice to use Gipps Rd for the park disrespect the community’s youth and failed to provide proper consultation.
“The Gipps Rd site wasn’t even considered over two years ago when the sites were explored because it didn’t meeting the criteria for the neighbourhood or local skate facility,’’ she said.
“It is not close to the users, it’s not close to where they live or their schools. It is an isolated site, predominantly in an industrial area.
“It does not have good, natural surveillance, security and safety. It is not located near any food and drink outlets.”
The group prefers the skate facility to be built at Bathurst Street Park. Despite the council allocated funding $572,000 for that site in 2017, it has backflipped on its decision more than once.
In March it suggested opening a skate facility at Darling Street Park before choosing Gipps Rd in December.
Mrs Overton said children who wanted the skate park built in 2015 were now old enough to vote in the local government elections in September.
“We’re sick of the politics driving poor decision making by this council,’’ she said.
“The skate park should have been built by now and it’s our youth should be feeling safe and welcome in the public space just like any other resident in our community.
“The amount of misinformation, lack of respect for young people and their interests and the stolen tactics demonstrated by council on this has been truly astounding.”
However, last year, Greystanes Football Club, which also uses Bathurst St reserve opposed having the skate ramp there because the park had reached capacity.
The club had almost 800 registered players and more than 500 juniors used the park on Saturday mornings.
The council deferred the matter.