Skateparks are "now a common fixture in all communities". Photo / 123rf.com
Skateparks are "now a common fixture in all communities". Photo / 123rf.com
The Thames-Coromandel District Council has officially selected the Cory Park Domain as the site for the embattled Tairua Skatepark, and campaigners say they're "a step closer to the finish line".
The push for a skatepark started three decades ago, and now seems set to proceed.
The council said all potentialsites had been investigated and public opinion was thoroughly canvassed.
Mayor Sandra Goudie said: "There was never any doubt that all anyone has ever wanted in Tairua for the last 30 years is a skatepark in town ... Now we can move forward."
The domain was previously chosen as the site of the skatepark, but the process was delayed by a legal challenge from the Preserve Cory Park Domain Society.
"Tairua is a growing town, with more and more young families shifting into the area ... we need facilities in our town for all ages. Our skatepark is a highly anticipated addition."
She said skateparks were "now a common fixture in all communities".
Three of the five members of the Tairua Sport and Recreation Trust. Left to right: Vivienne Cory-Wright, Alison Smith and Donna Marshall. Photo / supplied
"They provide a place for play, cameraderie and skill development for all ages."
"Grouping all sports at Cory Park, Tairua's sporting hub, makes sense ... anything that helps motivate our tamariki to be outside, in the fresh air and off devices must be a major perk."
Vivienne Cory-Wright, also a member of the trust, said she was "excited to get to the next phase".
She said she was happy Cory Park Domain was chosen as the most suitable location, as the domain was already zoned for a skatepark.
"The quickest way to do it [build the park] is to put it on the zoned area."
She said the Cory-Wright family in Tairua supported building the skatepark on the domain.
She said the proposed alternate location for the skatepark, Pepe Reserve, was not supported by tangata whenua and Tairua's own mana whenua.
She said the "ethos of skateparks attracting crime and bad behaviour" and devaluing property was "archaic" and "misinformation".
She felt opponents of the park "really should just step back and let this project happen for the youth of Tairua".
"Tairua kids are good kids - they deserve this.
"It's time."
Representative of the Protect Cory Park Domain Society Neil Plummer said the society was "disappointed" by the council's decision.
He said his society included "practically all the owners of the properties adjacent to the park" and said they felt Pepe Reserve was "a far more appropriate site".
"The basis of our submission was almost entirely on the adverse effects the skatepark would have on the surrounding residents. I cannot offer comment on the wider community."
He said their society intended to have a representative on the design committee, "but at this point ... we have not met to consider our position on design features".
Sport Waikato chief executive Matthew Cooper. Photo / supplied
Sport Waikato chief executive Matthew Cooper said they were "very happy" with the council's decision.
He said the decision about where to put the skatepark was "more than just about the land it is on, but rather the creation of an environment conducive to multi-purpose use and flexible, collaborative provision of assets for physical activity".
They said they hoped the skatepark design would be inclusive of a range of different skill levels.
"It would be great to see it have spaces for all to congregate together – from families to teenagers and adults alike, that the space is inclusive, accessible and thought has gone into the integration into the wider park concept."
Cooper said the skatepark reflected a general desire in the region to do more physical activity.
He said data from Active New Zealand showed "a significant appetite among the district's [Thames/Coromandel] population to do more".
"The results also show that recreation remains a top priority for residents across the District.
"As such, it is important for [the] council to consider its role in continuing to provide spaces for recreation that meet the participation needs of its people and communities."
