12 Feb, 2015

Temporary Skate Park for Park Lands Location

A new temporary Skate Park has been announced for Ityamai-itpina (Park 15) within the Park Lands, just off Wakefield Road, replacing the soon to close Skate Park on North Terrace.

The temporary Skate Park, expected to cost upwards of $300,000 is being delivered in partnership by the State Government and City of Adelaide after the new medical and teaching precinct was announced for North Terrace in 2012.

Planning Minister John Rau said that he was pleased a landing could be reached on a new temporary location.

“This gives the Adelaide skateboarding community some surety and a venue to use while we work with Council and the community on a new permanent site,” he said.

“A design team from State Government and City of Adelaide will be working closely with the local skater representatives in designing and setting a venue up on Wakefield Rd that is of high quality despite being temporary.

“It will also allow elements to be tested and trialled for the long-term permanent design.

“While it's taken longer than we all would have liked we've been able to find a space that has some good existing facilities and is right on the edge of the CBD.”

City of Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese said he was pleased the new site could finally be announced and thanked the skater community for their patience while a new temporary location was arrived at.

"Council is grateful for the skater community's engagement to get us to this point.

"I can guarantee people that a lot of work and conversations have been happening behind the scenes between Council and State Government to get us to today, but I agree with the commentary from the skating community that it’s taken longer than it needed to.

"Now we have an agreement, I want to see us move quickly to get a high class design over the line with skaters so we can move to the build stage and cut down the time they are without a dedicated venue in the city.

"The temporary facility will be built on a set of Council’s deteriorating basketball courts, which will be resurfaced.

“The site already has existing toilet facilities within close proximity and is about 5 minutes from the nearest free City Connector bus stop.

“The good thing about this space is we can retain basketball facilities as the area is still well used by basketball players and it will complement the temporary Skate Park; we can also use aspects of the temporary site around other part of the city once the new one is built.

"The skater community adds to the colour and feel of the city so the sooner we have the Skate Park up and running means we can maintain the positive influences they have on it fabric,” Martin said.

Andy Walker, representing Adelaide's skateboarders, said he was pleased the new site has been announced and looks forward to working with the designers to make it happen.

“As users we've been engaged on our needs for a while now and I'll be lobbying the designers hard to make sure even though it's a temporary space we make it the best it can possibly be for skaters so we achieve maximum use.

"The quality of the design will be important to ensure it's a focus for skaters and to minimise them using other public spaces not necessarily designed purely for skate boarding,” he said.

Council plans to establish an MOU with the State Government to help guide the location and design of a permanent new Skate Park for the city, which ideally could also incorporate a range of other activities like basketball and parkour.

Design and engagement on the new site will start immediately with a construction date to be decided based on these outcomes. The current Skate Park on North Terrace is expected to close on 28 February.

David Hill