Parents are calling on the Dungog Shire Council to expand and renovate the local skatepark.
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The Dungog skatepark located at Bennett Park is overflowing every afternoon with children scooters, skateboards and bikes.
Local mum, Jessica Parrey, who has lived in Dungog for 22 years and has been taking her children
to the park for the last 13 years, wrote to the Dungog Shire Council asking for the expansion and renovation of the park.
“It’s been over this time that I have come to see the need for the skatepark to be bigger and cars
prevented from entering this space,” said Ms Parrey.
“There is rubbish and at times broken glass. I’ve seen the older kids picking it up with their bare hands.”
The letter prompted the Dungog Council to conduct an inspection that found a number of concerns
relating to the skatepark including safety, isolation, location, lighting access and control.
The Council were a successful in gaining external funding to implement a new project known as
Paint Skate Participate will held in all three skateparks across Dungog, Gresford and Clarence Town.
The Council will work in partnership with UP & UP, Dungog High School and Youth Development workers and anticipated to begin in October.
The project will be youth orientated running over six months and aim to clean, identify improvements and ownership through art and signage but will not address the infrastructure concerns addressed by Ms Parrey.
“It really needs to be bigger though,” Ms Parrey said.
“The kids need this. They don’t go there to smoke or drink. They go there to ride, skate and scooter
and show each other their skills. Some are very gifted.”
The Dungog Shire Council report made a recommendation for consideration in the 2015/2016
budget for infrastructure improvement on the Dungog Shire’s three skateparks, however such a
project would require relocating the parks.
Caption: Local children of Dungog Shire desperate for bigger space