WHEELS are in motion for the development of the $350,000 Morwell Skate Park after Latrobe City Council supported the final concept design plan last week.
Skate and bike users attended three council workshops last year and contributed to the details and designs of the final plan, which is part of the council construction program for the 2012/13 financial year.
Latrobe City councillor Bruce Lougheed urged council to support the plan as the skate park has “long been awaited for by the youth of this area”.
Cr Lougheed said the facilities were “long overdue” and asked councillors not to delay the process.
Debate, sparked by councillor Sandy Kam, arose during a council meeting last week over the estimated establishment cost of Morwell’s district skate park which exceeds the Latrobe City Skate/BMX Plan 2009 cost estimates by $100,000.
However, a Latrobe City officer said the regional plan was just an “indicative cost” which had dated over the years.
Latrobe City chief executive Paul Buckley confirmed the funds for the project had been allocated to the budget for next financial year.
The skate park plan, designed by world-renowned skate park design company Convic International, will now go out for tender for the construction of the project.
Councillor Lisa Price said consultation from the skaters and bike riders played an important role in the design overview and layout achieved.
Following community consultation from November to December, council considered submissions in the final skate park design.
The feedback from the design workshops generally focused on the skate park feature alterations, spectator facilities, landscaping, vandalism and signage.
“I’m in awe of young peoples’ technical knowledge,” Cr Price said.
“They were very aware of what they wanted and they made their feelings known in a mature manner; it would be unfair not to proceed.”
Council adopted the recommendation to adopt the final Morwell Skate Park Concept Design and will commence the detailed design drawings for construction.
