Tauranga's first destination skate park is a step closer with two significant community grants contributing to an exciting design.

New Zealand skate designer Richard Smith from Rich Landscapes has worked with Tauranga City Council and a community design group to design a skate park that meets the needs of the city's different skate user groups.

TECT has granted $1,023,000 and New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) has granted $459,370 to the project so far.

The new destination skatepark will be located on the corner of Hull Road and Maunganui Road in Mount Maunganui.

Tauranga City Council spaces and places project outcomes manager, Amanda Davies, says the technical design of the skate park offers something for all ages and abilities.

'The key features will allow for progression of skating abilities as well as catering for different roller modes. Stand out features of the skate park will include a flow bowl, a surf/skate ditch, competition style stairs and a street skate area.

'The park will also provide a cohesive and quality environment that encourages users and their friends and whānau to stay and enjoy the public open space. Seating and BBQ areas will be included to take advantage of the best vantage points to watch the activity at the skate park.”

Amanda says the skate park will provide an inclusive and accessible facility for Tauranga that attracts a wide range of demographics, gender and backgrounds.

'It will encourage users to be active, creative and have fun in a suitable outdoor environment. The support and funding of the project by TECT and NZCT has been vital as it will enable us to make a positive contribution to the physical, mental and social wellbeing of our community.”

TECT trustee Mark Arundel says the project will deliver a significant facility that responds to a real community need.

'With the growing popularity of skateboarding, TECT is thrilled to contribute to a dedicated facility to support this. The destination skatepark will be a place for people, particularly our rangatahi, to pursue healthy, active lifestyles – whether they're hobbyists or high-performance skaters – and spend time with their friends. It is an investment in their wellbeing.”

NZCT chief executive Mike Knell says he is pleased that the contribution and support of its venues in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui will help thousands of young people stay active in the years ahead.

'The funding recognises the demonstrated need for increased facilities in the community and is strongly supported by the collaborative approach to this project by Council.”

Construction of the skate park will begin in early 2023 with an expected completion date of April 2024.

Enabling works – including fencing, water supply, and power installation – will be happening on site from December through to February. More information on the destination skate park project is available at www.tauranga.govt.nz/skate

Planned safety improvements to Hull and Maunganui Roads will help ensure safe access to the skate park. More information on these safety improvements can be found at www.tauranga.govt.nz/maunganui

As well as finalising the design for the skate park, Council has $50,000 each year for three years to spend on improvements to existing skate parks in the city.

Improvements to the Memorial Park skate park have just been added, including a quarter pipe and some fun street-skate obstacles such as a manual ledge, a pole jam, a glass reinforced concrete (GRC) standard ledge and bank ledge, three different types of kerb grinders, and a fire hydrant with GRC kicker.

Gordon Spratt Reserve skate park in Pāpāmoa is next in line for some improvements in mid-2023.