Forum calls to put the brakes on MacCabe Park skate park until a detailed master plan has been completed
Today is the final day for the community to have its say on plans to create skate parks in Thirroul and central Wollongong
Today is the final day for the community to have its say on plans to create skate parks in Thirroul and central Wollongong. You can have your say here.
Wollongong Council engaged an experienced Melbourne-based skate park design and construction company, CONVIC, to oversee the site selection process.
In the northern suburbs four locations were considered: WF Jackson Park, the Thomas Gibson Park tennis courts, and MacCauley Park at Thirroul, and Pinecourt Park in Austinmer. Council's preference is WF Jackson Park in Thirroul.
The final CONVIC report to Council, in August 2024, revealed only one area of the city (MacCabe Park) was put forward as an option for the city's newest skate park. It isn't known if other locations in the city, or close to the beach and Stuart Park were considered. The Illawarra Flame understands the selection of a site wasn't referred to Council's Sports and Facilities Reference Group for comment.
With Council establishing its preference for MacCabe Park, CONVIC's main job was to identify which section of the city's central park should be converted from green space to a purpose-built skate park. Four locations were identified, Council favouring a site at the eastern edge of MacCabe Park fronting Church Street.
The consultant’s report only looked at MacCabe Park as a location for a new central skate park. At right: In 2011 the Government Architect’s Office report recommended a master plan for MacCabe Park
'Putting the cart before the horse'
At its latest meeting, Neighbourhood Forum 5 (NF5) said Council was putting "the cart before the horse", moving forward with a skate park for MacCabe Park prior to a long-awaited master plan for the park getting underway next year.
NF5 was reminded that in 2011, the NSW Government Architect's Office completed a report for Council, 'Developing a long term vision for MacCabe Park', which recommended a master planning process to enable the park to reach its full potential and meet the community's needs.
Five years later, still with no master plan, Council adopted a report by internationally renowned Gehl Architects 'A City for People, Wollongong Public Spaces Public Life 2016', which said: "MacCabe Park will be celebrated as a lively, high quality urban park supporting a balanced lifestyle for city residents and workers. A place of pride for the city, supported by activities (large scale events and festivals), cafes and public facilities. It will be an active space connected to the city centre."
Despite NF5's lobbying over the years, MacCabe Park remains without a master plan. In its latest agenda, NF5 said it had received many comments from residents that "every great city has a close, great park, and MacCabe Park should be Wollongong's Central Park".
The NF5 report said, "At present it has no soul and there is no master plan to guide its future development.
"The master plan should consider all opportunities including formal plantings, a water feature, sculpture garden, active recreation areas, picnic areas and shelters, possibly barbecues, and pavement and desire lines throughout the park. Lighting and safety conditions should also be considered as well as ecological enhancements and the role of the park in cooling the city. The master plan should also consider food and beverage offerings and an event space for small to medium scale community events such as Christmas carols which are currently held there."
Have your say today on the location for the MacCabe Park skatepark.
Call to defer the skate park
NF5 has requested Council urgently progress the "long-overdue" master plan for MacCabe Park and to defer a decision on the location of the proposed skate park until after the master plan has been completed and adopted.
In its response, Council says, "while master planning remains essential for guiding long-term development, delivering priority infrastructure like this now can activate MacCabe Park, support young people and families, and assist our future planning by providing real world insights into usage and aspirations.”
An NF5 member asked if Council's apparent haste on the skate park may be due to it receiving $300,000 grant funding from the NSW Government's Places to Play program, and $300,000 from the Responsible Gambling Fund. The Illawarra Flame isn't aware if there is a timeline for these funds to be spent by Council.
The majority funding for the two new skate parks, which are each likely to cost several million dollars, will come from developer contributions as part of the Wollongong City-Wide Development Contributions Plan (2024).
