Skate park rolls over

By Tania Martin
MT EVELYN skaters have been urged not to give up hope after the town’s park project hit another wall.
This follows a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) decision to reject the fifth site for a skate park.
VCAT last week overturned the Shire of Yarra Ranges decision to approve the park location in Birmingham Road, Mt Evelyn.
Despite another wall being placed in front of the project, mayor Tim Heenan has vowed to do his best to find a suitable site so that the whole process can be started again. For the past seven and a half years the council has been working with skaters to find a site for the park.
The council approved the proposal to construct a skate park and picnic facilities on Birmingham Road adjacent to the Warburton Rail Trail last December.
But near-by residents lodge an appeal saying that the proposed skate park wasn’t appropriate for the location because of the close vicinity of residential housing.
Residents also claim that the park would see an increase in alcohol consumption, drug abuse, graffiti and vandalism. VCAT member Laurie Hewet said although there was a demonstrated need for the park, the council had chosen the wrong site.
Mr Hewet said the site was too close to residential neighbours and would pose a threat to the amenity of nearby residents.
Despite ruling in the residents’ favour, Mr Hewet said he didn’t accept the inevitability of loutish, unruly or antisocial behaviour being connected to the skate park.
“There are now several skate parks throughout metropolitan Melbourne, including within this shire.
They provide the opportunity for young people to participate in a popular, unstructured physical activity,” he said.
However, Mr Hewet said the skate park location fell short of the recommended separation distance between recreational activities and residential housing.
The council will now have to go back to the drawing board to find another suitable site.
“We want to continue and I will do my utmost as quickly as possible to find anther site so we don’t have to wait another seven years,” Cr Heenan said.