Mount Evelyn skaters Ryan Sykes and Julian Walker have welcomed a proposed skate park development after years of campaigning. 50363 Picture: Nigel Clements
By Tania Martin
MOUNT Evelyn youths have again come under fire in a failed bid to reject a proposed skate park.
Nearby residents last week (13 July) claimed noise from young people using the park would have a detrimental impact on the neighbourhood.
But Yarra Ranges’ councillors said it was disturbing that youths in the town had again been targeted for the second time in four weeks.
This followed a council meeting on 22 June where a Mount Evelyn man claimed a proposed bus stop development would lead to youths loitering in the streets.
Chirnside Ward councillor Richard Higgins said it was disturbing that people don’t want to hear young people.
“It concerns me Mount Evelyn for the second council meeting in a row it seems people don’t like to have young people in their streets,” he said.
This comes as Mount Evelyn landlord, Arthur Luther objected to the proposed skate park on the corner of Birmingham Road and Gardiner Parade at the old disused netball courts.
The controversial move will see council disregard a previous VCAT approval with the help of new planning powers.
In 2008, VCAT overturned council’s decision to approve a planning permit for a skate park at 25 Birmingham Road, Mount Evelyn, saying it was too close to residential properties.
But the council will now use new Victorian planning laws that came into effect in May last year which enables them to approve a council application for work less than $1 million without needing a planning permit.
But Mr Luther said nothing had changed since the VCAT appeal and it was still too close to houses.
He said there would be a loss of amenity for nearby residents with noise posing a huge threat.
“Residents have said they can hear from their bedrooms conversations of people walking on the trail (adjacent to the proposed park),” Mr Luther said.
But Cr Higgins said young people should have the right to get out there and enjoy themselves and get their “butts off the Xbox”.
Resident and youth worker Greg Carrick said the previous attitudes by a small number of people on young people were having a really bad effect.
“Over the past six or seven years, there have been various proposed sites knocked back and I’ve had a generation of you people saying to me that this town sucks, the adults here hate use,” he said.
“We have 1500 teenagers and there would only be a handful that would not behave.”
Mount Evelyn skater, Julian Walker, 24, said it was great to see the skate park project finally moving forward.
He was just 14 years old when all the planning started and can’t believe it’s finally going to happen.
“Finally, it gives us somewhere to skate,” Mr Walker said.
He said it was disappointing that young people were targeted.
“They are being ridiculous, everything they say (antisocial behaviour) is not what goes on at skate parks,” Mr Walker said.
But Mr Luther said the council missed the point and it wasn’t about a dislike of young people.
“It’s just too close to the residential area,” he said.
Despite the residents concerns, the council last week approved the skate park proposal.
