A skate park enthusiast has slammed Hume council’s plans for Sunbury skate park’s redevelopment, calling the design “ridiculous”.
Skateboarders called for the park’s expansion in 2015, but the council’s plans propose smaller ramps than the current park, says Sunbury Skate Association secretary Andrew Grimes.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s the type of park for a small town,” said Mr Grimes. “My young daughter could do the highest ramp.”
Hume’s 2016-17 budget allocated $400,000 for an extension, but the council decided the current park needed a complete rebuild.
Mr Grimes, who lobbied to have the park built 15 years ago, said the council hasn’t allocated enough money to rebuild the park to the size that is needed.
Concerned by the scale of the plans for the park’s reconstruction, residents raised the issue of obtaining more funding for a larger park at a community consultation session on May 16.
The council did not give hope for further funding, said Mr Grimes.
Sunbury councillor Ann Potter said the current rebuilding project has about $600,000 and the architects will rebuild the park with the mindset to extend it in future years.
“The budget is what it is,” Cr Potter said.
But Mr Grimes said he would “absolutely” prefer that the council delay demolishing the current park until a bigger park can be funded.
“There’s no point building a new park that we will get bored of in a year anyway,” he said.
Cr Potter said that the current budget will be used to start construction as intended.
“The development won’t be put off. Something will be built there very soon – as soon as possible.”
The council’s redevelopment plans can be viewed on Hume council website. The council are taking feedback at leisure@hume.vic.gov.au until May 30.
