Council gets skates on

By Sarah Schwager
A NEW means of thrills and spills for skaters will be built at Hampton Park.
At last week’s Casey Council meeting, councillors decided to build a new skate park at Cairns Road Recreation Reserve.
Despite councillor Wayne Smith’s push to develop a skate park at River Gum Creek Reserve opposite Hampton Park Shopping Centre, council officers recommended now was not the right time.
Instead, the council will revisit the option after the proposed widening of Hallam Road has been completed.
Cr Smith said he had been trying to get a new skate park built in Hampton Park almost as long as he had been a councillor.
“The kids that were first in a photo pleading for the park are probably driving now and will never benefit from it,” he said.
In council’s 2003/04 budget, $100,000 was committed for the development of a skate park in Hampton Park and council later applied for a planning permit to build at River Gum Creek Reserve.
However, investigation by council officers showed the cost of building there was too much, estimated at more than $400,000.
Cr Smith said he would support the recommendation despite wanting the skate park built at River Gum Creek Reserve simply because there was such a need for a skate park at the moment.
“I’d prefer it at Hallam Road but until the duplication is done I guess it doesn’t make much sense. It would be more cost effective to wait,” he said.
Casey’s manager of city living, Richard Amon, said letters would be mailed to all residents potentially affected by the Cairns Road Recreation Reserve skate park site.