Grafton’s push for a safer, rebuilt skate park has picked up serious momentum since June, moving from a radio interview to a packed community meet-up and now to a council vote ordering a full report on the facility’s future.
The push began in August last year, when vandalism at the Grafton skate park sparked concern in the community. Haylee Blair, who hosts an after-school segment on community station FM 103.1 Loving Life, raised the issue on air, which prompted local Grafton Midday Rotary members to get behind a plan to push for improvements.
Since then, Haylee has taken her case to Grafton Mayor Ray Smith and Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan, before presenting a deputation to Clarence Valley Council in April, when councillors voted unanimously to add the skate park to the council’s infrastructure wish list.
A Facebook page, Grafton Skate Park Upgrade, was also set up to keep community interest alive, and a community skate park committee has since been formed to help drive the project.
On 20 June, State Member for Clarence Richie Williamson joined Haylee and her friend Leanne on FM 103.1 Loving Life’s after-school segment, telling them he wanted to see the problems at the park for himself.
“I don’t know much about skate parks. I think it’s been a long time since I’ve ridden a skateboard, and we can have a look together and you can show me what the issues are,” Mr Williamson said, confirming he would organise a visit during the school holidays.
He also urged Haylee to keep the pressure on.
“Yes, absolutely, Haylee, and I would encourage you to sustain your involvement,” Mr Williamson said.
That visit took place on 10 July, when Haylee, Leanne and Mr Williamson met at the Grafton Skatepark at 1pm to talk through next steps, with the community invited to come down and show their support.
The turnout exceeded expectations. In a follow-up post on the Grafton Skate Park Upgrade Facebook page, organisers described it as “a huge day for the Grafton Skatepark community”, with the community turning up “in absolute droves” and state and local government working together.
Cr Cristie Yager and Mayor Smith joined Mr Williamson at the event, and organisers thanked all three for taking part in the day’s conversations. The Mid North Coast Skate Club also ran a sausage sizzle to keep spirits up throughout the day.
Six weeks later, on Thursday, 20 August, Clarence Valley Council took the campaign a step further. Cr Yager put forward a motion, unanimously supported, requiring council staff to report back by the October ordinary meeting on the skate park’s maintenance history, available state and federal funding, options for renewal and upgrades, and the timeframe and constraints involved in getting the work done.
“I’m hoping we can get a whole lot of information that is available publicly,” Cr Yager said, according to the ABC.
The council’s own records show the road ahead is not straightforward. A report considered in April found the Maclean skate park was in worse condition and needed replacement, while the Glenreagh and Junction Hill skate parks also ranked ahead of Grafton for repair or upgrade priority.
As it stands, expansion of the Grafton skate park is not part of council’s asset management framework, and no funding or renewal works have been planned. Council has told the ABC the project would cost an estimated $250,000, money the council does not have without help from other levels of government.
Mr Williamson said state and local governments regularly work together to fund exactly this kind of community infrastructure.
“We work together all the time, including the federal government, the state government and local councils,” he said in June, pointing to Grafton’s new Civic Centre and Performing Arts Centre as an example of a project funded jointly by all three levels of government. He said the next step was for council to agree on a set of plans for the park, get the work costed, and then apply for grants.
“Once the plans are done, the council would write to me and then I’d go to the government to get some funds to help,” Mr Williamson said.
Haylee said the surface of the park badly needs resurfacing.
“It needs to be ground back because it’s too rough for skateboarders to skate, and there’s cracks and everything everywhere so skateboarders just fall over,” she said, adding that cracks and loose debris have damaged skateboards and caused riders to come off.
She told the ABC the park is now more often used for bikes and scooters, whose larger wheels cope better with the rough surface than a skateboard’s smaller wheels, and said she would eventually like to see a smoother surface, a pump track for younger children, shade and cameras added. “There’s cracks and holes everywhere and glass and stuff all over the skate park,” she told the ABC.
The ABC also highlighted the nearby Lismore skate park as an example of what an upgraded facility could achieve. That park, which opened last year, has hosted major events including an official Skate Australia Olympic pathway event, and reportedly draws skaters from as young as three through to those in their fifties most days of the week.
With council’s report due back in October, organisers behind the Grafton Skate Park Upgrade page say there is plenty more happening behind the scenes, and have promised further updates as the campaign continues.
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