ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
MOE’s skate park is back and it’s bigger and better than ever. George Street, Moe was a hive of activity as Latrobe City Council officially opened the new youth precinct on Thursday, September 28. The precinct replaces the old skate park and car park to bring a new inviting space where families of any age can come to enjoy. The precinct consists of a modern skate park including a large open bowl, playground for younger children, barbecue and picnic amenities and a green lawn space for leisure, events and markets. The new modern skate park was a hit on opening day, as keen skaters took to the park with perfect weather to show off their tricks. For those just starting out, council facilitated scooter, skating and skateboarding coaching lessons, with additional deck painting, pop-up stores, and free food and drink available on the day. While some younger children were not so keen on hurling themselves into the skate bowl, they were seen enjoying the new playground instead. The youth space was built under the council’s $7.5 million investment into the Moe Revitalisation Project, with Stage 2 now complete. The project, started by Multipro Civil Construction in December last year, took into consideration the Moe Rail Precinct Revitalisation Project masterplan and the input provided by the community of Moe, especially in the design of the youth precinct. Latrobe City Mayor, Kellie O’Callaghan, joined the community in cutting the ribbon to officially open the space. “I don’t think there’s anything better than getting underway, having an opening where we have actually got the kids of community enjoying the space that’s been built for them,” she said. The mayor said Council had begun planning developing concepts for this space as far back as 2007. “There was always a desire to get this done originally with the bigger masterplan,” Mayor O’Callaghan said. “It is a really long time for a community to commit to aspirations for a site but the most recent work was taken by the project reference group but – there has been years and years of advocacy, lobbying to all levels of government to try and secure the funding to bring this part of the project to life.” Well and truly brought to life, the youth spaces launch day and ribbon cutting proceedings drew in a big crowd of stakeholders and curious kids. The mayor said the project has been informed by those in the community, including youth, to find what would best cater for their needs and unify the Moe CBD. Unison was a key theme for the council’s project to tie in youth, families, space and businesses to recreation. “Just to be able to bring their little kids down and then go down to get a coffee, to then go down to town to the shops to engage in all the other great things in the CBD, creates opportunities,” the Mayor said. In her ribbon-cutting speech, Cr O’Callaghan acknowledged the architects, council staff, youth leaders, the community project reference group, contractors and all those who helped guide the plan into a completed project.
