By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
Grab your skateboards, bikes, and scooters \u2013 the new Ballan and Gordon skate parks are now open for use, just in time for school holidays.<\/p>\n
Though final landscaping works aren\u2019t complete yet, the skate parks at Mill Park and Gordon Public Park had a \u2018soft opening\u2019 in December, with gates opened to allow everyone to enjoy the parks over the summer holidays.<\/p>\n
Skateboarders Niall and Wes, and scooter rider Jaxon, showed Mayor Cr Rod Ward, Deputy Mayor Cr Ally Munari and Cr Moira Berry how it\u2019s done at Mill Park, before trying out the Gordon skate park, where the group was joined by Catherine King MP, the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.<\/p>\n
The total cost for both skate parks was $550,000, with the Mill Park skate park costing $385,000, and the Gordon skate park costing $165,000. Of the total, $410,000 was provided by the Australian Government\u2019s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCIP), and $140,000 was contributed by Council.<\/p>\n
As both a Councillor and a Gordon local, Cr Munari said the soft opening was exciting for the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really exciting for the community, especially the kids that have been eagerly awaiting jumping on. It\u2019s perfect timing for school holidays, I think that was the reason for the soft opening \u2013 we definitely wanted kids to have somewhere to go as soon as school finished up,\u201d she told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn a personal level, I have three skaters in the family, and it\u2019s already made life so much easier. It\u2019s not even ten minutes up the road for us, and it\u2019s so much easier to get the kids there than driving up to Ballarat all the time, just for them to enjoy a hobby they love. Everyone wants their kids to get out and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more details on the designs, visit www.moorabool.vic.gov.au\/Mill-Park, and www.moorabool.vic.gov.au\/Gordon-Park. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis Grab your skateboards, bikes, and scooters \u2013 the new Ballan and Gordon skate parks are now open for use, just in time for school holidays. Though final landscaping works aren\u2019t complete yet, the skate parks at Mill Park and Gordon Public Park had a \u2018soft opening\u2019 in December, with gates opened to […]<\/p>\n