Sport Manawatū Tararua recreation adviser Deanne Parkes and Tararua deputy mayor Erana Peeti-Webber reveal plans for Dannevirke's new wheel park to Huia Range pupils. Photo / Sue Emeny
Sport Manawatū Tararua recreation adviser Deanne Parkes and Tararua deputy mayor Erana Peeti-Webber reveal plans for Dannevirke's new wheel park to Huia Range pupils. Photo / Sue Emeny
Huia Range pupils are the first to learn what's planned for Dannevirke's new wheel park.
Sport Manawatū Tararua recreation adviser Deanne Parkes and Tararua deputy mayor Erana Peeti-Webber, accompanied by mayor Tracey Collis, visited Huia Range to reveal what the park will feature.
The new recreation is to be locatedat the Dannevirke Domain, next to the Scout Hall and will stretch toward Wai Splash.
A weather station is situated next to the Scout Hall but this will be relocated.
"You are the first people outside of the committee planning the wheel park to see this," Parkes told the children.
Huia Range children had the honour of being the first to hear of the plans for the park because a large number of them took part in a competition in which they submitted their ideas of what they wanted to see installed.
Peeti-Webber said the plans included a full-size basketball court, an area for children to learn to ride, which would have road signs, a walkway and in-ground trampolines.
The trampolines were one of the suggestions submitted by the children and something the committee had not considered, Peeti-Webber said.
There are cricket nets in this area of the domain, but these will be enclosed to ensure the safety of children using the park.
Asked by one of the children when the park would become a reality, Parkes said it was hoped the basketball court and walking track would be completed within 12 months.
"The next part of the project will require some fundraising ideas and we would be keen to have you involved as the project is for you," Parkes said.
Peeti-Webber said there will be a consultation process before the project goes ahead and a public meeting will be held in the Scout Hall on Monday, October 12 which parents are welcome to attend.
"This will be a chance for parents, and children, to put forward any other ideas they might have.
"Once we get the plans drawn up we can bring them back here to show you."
Parkes said the committee was very grateful to the children for submitting their ideas for the park.
"It was really cool seeing all the different ideas."
She said the process now was to have public consultation and show everybody what was planned.
"We will then go back to the council and get the ball rolling."
Sport Manawatū Tararua recreation adviser Deanne Parkes, Tararua mayor Tracey Collis and deputy mayor Erana Peeti-Webber are interviewed by Huia Range pupil Bridie Derbidge. Photo / Sue Emeny
Following the presentation, student Bridie Derbidge interviewed the visitors.
She asked what they liked most about the children's suggestions.
Mayor Collis said the suggestions were "all different".
"What was really clear to us was that a basketball court was wanted and we were all excited about the trampolines."
Asked why the committee decided to take the issue to the schools, Collis said they needed to know what the children were thinking.
"We had a slide in a park in Woodville which was removed. We had parents asking for it to be replaced, but actually what the children wanted was climbing equipment."
Asked if there would be any similar contests for children in future, Parkes said there might be one around children being asked to set the rules for using the park.
