Skaters help land upgrades to St Leonards skatepark

ST LEONARDS will get a better skatepark and the Waurn Ponds skatepark will be upgraded through $1.7 million in grants from the state government.

Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney, on behalf of Bellarine MP Lisa Neville, visited St Leonards on Thursday last week to hear from the project’s supporters, who had planned to have a rally this Saturday to lobby the City of Greater Geelong to fund the works, and announced the funding the following day.

Community members have been pushing since 2019 for upgrades for the existing skate park – which Thrasher magazine gave a “Certified Piece of Suck” rating as Australia’s worst skate park a decade ago – and hailed the announcement on the “Build Our Skate Park” Facebook page.

“In the next six to seven months we should go from #1 worst to #1 best,” the Facebook post said.

The City of Greater Geelong council has already allocated $30,000 towards planning and designing an upgrade to the skatepark at McLeod Street.

Labor’s funding comes from the second round of its Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program.

The project is expected to create new full-time jobs during the planning and design phase, and additional jobs when construction begins.

“I congratulate the skaters of St Leonards, led by Ethan Coleman, who have campaigned so hard to get a new facility and Lisa Neville MP for listening to them, then securing this funding,” Ms Tierney said.

“The new park will ensure local kids have a facility to be proud of, one that will not only be enjoyed by current skaters, but one that will encourage others to get active, now and well into the future.

“The Victorian Government is making sport and recreation more accessible, welcoming and inclusive for all Victorians, so more people can play the sport they love, including skateboarding.”

By working with local government authorities and sporting clubs and organisations, investment from the second round of the program and its 42 projects are expected to create 600 local jobs and drive local economic activity worth more than $180 million.

A total of 70 projects have benefited from a share of $178 million from the Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program, part of Labor’s $1.05 billion investment in community sport and recreation infrastructure since 2014.

For more information about the program and details on projects, head to the Sport and Recreation Victoria website.