NEARBY residents believe a skatepark at Narambi Reserve, Mornington will reduce vandalism to bus shelters and Mornington Park.
A 298-signature petition calling for a skatepark at Narambi Reserve was delivered to Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors at their Monday 27 March meeting.
Sport and recreation infrastructure planner Mark Stahel said the shire’s skate and BMX strategy did not include a skatepark at Narambi reserve “however there is a large skate facility located at Civic Reserve in Mornington, which is approximately one kilometre from Narambi reserve”.
Mr Stahel said the strategy “will be reviewed once the implementation plan from the existing strategy has been completed”.
That could take some time as the shire is still scrambling to resolve its differences with Mt Martha Tennis Club, which is opposed to a skatepark next to its courts on the former parade ground near Mt Martha House.
The shire is prepared to spend $825,000 on a skatepark on the parade ground near the corner of the Esplanade and Kilburn Grove even though its design is guaranteed to not satisfy the needs or abilities of all skaters.
The plan to build the skatepark at Mt Martha was adopted without first seeking the consent of the tennis club to which council had already leased the site.
The club says the two activities – skating and tennis – are incompatible and it also wants to build an extra court in the same spot.
The petition for a skatepark at Narambi reserve says the signatories believe the existing skateparks in Mt Eliza “and Mt Martha” are too far away for young people to get to without transport.
First published in the Mornington News – 4 April 2017
