Tauranga's destination skate park for all abilities is a step closer to reality when construction starts next month at the intersection of Maunganui and Hull Roads, in Mount Maunganui.
Enabling work has ramped up to ensure the skate park site is ready for construction. This work includes installing fencing and drainage, connecting water and power supply, and starting earth works.
Minor tree works will start today, Tuesday March 14, and finishes in early April. Council will look to retain and relocate as many as possible and mitigate for any potential losses.
Following the completion of the enabling works, construction on the skate park will start, with completion aimed for March 2024.
Design of destination skate park
Stand out features of the destination skate park will include a flow bowl, a surf/skate ditch and competition style stairs, and a street skate area.
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The destination skate park will include a flow bowl. Image: Tauranga City Council.
It is also designed with other park amenities such as landscaping, toilets, seating, drinking foundations, shade sails and a barbecue so it's a place where people will want to come and stay, as opposed to being purely a technical skate park for roller users.
Why is Council building a destination skate park?
Through the Long-term Plan Tauranga City Council has funding allocated for the upgrade of existing skate facilities and a contribution towards a destination skate park.
"Our growing skater community has told us our existing skate facilities are outdated and don't provide for different skating experiences i.e. scootering, skateboarding, BMX, inline and roller skating," says a Council spokesperson.
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Photo: Tauranga City Council. Image: Tauranga City Council.
Tauranga has a long history of being one of New Zealand's favourite surfing destinations.
"This ‘brand' of outdoor adventure sports also includes skateboarding and other roller sports and is important to the people of Tauranga.
"The skating industry has told us more people have been taking up surfing and skateboarding in Tauranga since the addition of these sports to the Olympic programme."
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The destination skate park will include a snake run. Image: Tauranga City Council.
Skating is an accessible and inclusive activity, with active participants from a range of demographics, gender and backgrounds.
"Skating provides physical, mental and social benefits. It's a fun, unstructured, affordable activity that promotes being active and creative in suitable outdoor environments," says a Council spokesperson.
Community grants secured for destination skate park
Tauranga City Council is being supported in this project by community grants from TECT ($1,023,000), New Zealand Community Trust ($459,370), Lotteries ($528,847) and Project Tauranga ($200,000).
To read more about community grants secured for the destination skate park click here
For more information about the destination skate park project, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz/skate
Find out what else is happening in Mount Maunganui by visiting www.tauranga.govt.nz/mountprojects
6 comments
Hmmm
Posted on 14-03-2023 09:59 | By Let's get real
They would do well to house a community policing team there as well. Whilst many visitors will be there to just have a good time, you can absolutely guarantee that the dregs of society will be drawn there like moths to a flame and it will become the scene for regular police interactions very quickly. I wonder which gang will be claiming it as their turf...?
@Let's get real
Posted on 14-03-2023 11:46 | By morepork
I hope you're wrong. I'm optimistic about it because I believe that when people are passionate about a sport or activity the results are generally good. If the majority of people who go there are there for a good time following their passion in ideal surroundings, I don't think they will let go of that too easily. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have Police patrols occasionally (especially in the early days). The community is investing considerable funds in this facility and it would be stupid to let gangs close it down.
@Morepork
Posted on 14-03-2023 17:11 | By Let's get real
Unfortunately, I have first-hand knowledge from the construction of the Baywave skatebowl. I personally stopped a young man with a knife, who was carving pieces out of the surrounding seating and coincidentally a police patrol happened to arrive a few moments later checking on truants. Council employed "G-MAN", a local tagger at that time, to paint the bowl and hopefully deter other taggers. More Council funding wasted. I genuinely fear for the good people that turn up at the wrong time and on their own. Weapons will appear, as they did in the early days of Baywave.
Skate Park
Posted on 14-03-2023 19:54 | By peter pan
Money would be better spent on housing the homeless .
Gangs Galore
Posted on 15-03-2023 07:47 | By Thats Nice
Gangs have been increasingly causing havoc in our society especially in the last few years so this skate park will be no different............unfortunately and no one will stand up to them.
@Let's get real
Posted on 16-03-2023 20:14 | By morepork
I commend your action and if more people simply took action instead of walking away then there would be less bad behaviour. I'm hopeful that if the place is well used there will always be a number of people there who can do what you did. I agree it needs police support and they should also do regular weapons checks. If intimidation is allowed to win, then we get lawlessness and the people who could use and enjoy the facility are denied it. The Police have the biggest gang and it needs to be clear that they will be there. I understand your concerns and I still just hope you are wrong.
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