Committee sought to push Clifton Springs skatepark

A COMMITTEE is forming to get upgrades to Clifton Springs’ skatepark rolling faster, and people with a deep interest in the issue are being urged to apply.

The Better Skateparks group has issued an expression of interest to the skate community to join the committee for the redevelopment of the skatepark and to speak directly with the City of Greater Geelong over the coming months.

Located off Jetty Road, the skatepark was built more than two decades ago and opened by then-Victorian Sports Minister Justin Madden, but has deteriorated considerably since then despite the population of Clifton Springs and surrounds increasing.

Better Skateparks advocates for the development of better skateboarding facilities across Australia, and group member Jason Stancombe lives in Ocean Grove.

He said Better Skateparks had been in early talks with the city about upgrading the Waurn Ponds Skatepark to have a deeper bowl, such as the one at Djila Tjarri Skatepark in Torquay.

“We were talking to the city about getting some facilities made that catered to that kind of skateboarding. They were all over it, but then as the proposal turned out, it got put to community consultation, kids got involved, and changed the whole process of it, and it got knocked back.

“On the back of that, we were told the next park to possibly be developed is Clifton Springs, because it’s been so run down, so we’re trying to short-cut the council and establish a skatepark committee as a group of locals and experienced skaters.

“We’re looking to design something we want and then go back to the council and say ‘this is what we need’ as opposed to them telling us what we need.”

Mr Stancombe said the committee would also mean skateboarders had “a single voice to council”.

“We’ve got our own agenda of where we want to go with the skate park. We’ve had discussions with skatepark builders and designers – they’ve got a completely different agenda, which is part of why we’re setting this group up.”

The committee will include between 10 and 12 representatives.

Members of the committee will ideally have deep knowledge about their sport, be interested to explore solutions, and bring a diversity of skills, age, and gender.

Committee members will be appointed through an expression of interest process and the group will be in place for the duration of the skatepark upgrade, expected to be between 12 and 24 months.

Anyone interested in applying for a role on the committee can fill in an application at betterskateparks.com, and applications close on September 16 at 5pm.