Ten years on: Is Thirroul’s W.F. Jackson Park the right spot for a skatepark?

It's been 10 years since we featured the Northern Illawarra Skateboarders Alliance on the cover of 2515 magazine and Thirroul is finally in line for a skatepark. But where will it go?

This Saturday, November 8, Wollongong City Council would like to hear from skaters, park lovers and concerned community members at a pop-up consultation from 9-11.30am at Thirroul's W.F. Jackson Park. 

While this is council’s preferred spot, Thirroul residents are divided over the suitability of the triangular piece of parkland, which is wedged between the railway, the busy main road and the Coles shopping complex, tipped to be developed with apartments in the future.

At Council’s October 27 meeting, local skateboarder Jess Fraser spoke in support of this choice, describing W.F. Jackson as an “under-utilised” family-friendly park. 

Jess said its high visibility on Lawrence Hargrave Drive was a good thing. “Putting the skate park somewhere else, in fact, would put the kids out of our passive surveillance and encourage some of the undesirable behaviour that people think about when they think about skate parks,” she said.

A skatepark in the town centre would attract families and be good for businesses, Jess said. “It creates a hub for local people to go to cafes and then go and sit and have a coffee. 

“For me, I'm in my 40s, I have a group of friends that we all skate together – 40 to 50-year-olds. We skate with their children, with my family's children, we all work together to skate together. It's just an activity that we can do where we get to watch the kids and interact with the kids and mentor the kids, that is quite rare.”

Engadine Skate Park, at Cooper St Reserve, was an example of good work, Jess told council. “Engadine is beautiful. They've kept a lot of trees. It's very shaded.”

Councillors recall childhood fun

Later in the meeting, memories of childhood fun surfaced as councillors considered two proposed locations for new skateparks in our city: at MacCabe Park (the eastern section, along Church Street) and the more controversial W.F. Jackson Park in Thirroul.

Cr David Brown owned up to being a goofy footer who “looked worse than I actually was”, while as the father of two boys, Cr Ryan Morris said he was “looking forward to fixing the skinned knees and elbows as they come off their skateboards, if they're anything like their father”. Lord Mayor Tania Brown recalled the joy of visiting Thirroul’s Anita’s Theatre in the 1970s when it was a roller-skating rink.

“I look forward to hearing positive support from our community,” the Lord Mayor said. “I think, on this one, we want to hear from the young people.”

Cr Richard Martin wanted to see the project move forward as fast as possible and called for submissions: “Because this is going to be a contentious issue.”

Cr Dan Hayes said: “We all agree that there is no location that is perfect … I'm supportive of what's been chosen.”

Cr Jess Whittaker acknowledged concerns about the site's proximity to traffic. "But I feel like this is an opportunity to design it really well and create that separation with landscaping and things like that, to keep the kids away from the road and direct people down to that crossing, which is, you know, 50 metres down the road.” 

Cr Kit Docker noted skateboarding is now an Olympic sport. “I grew up in Illawarra, and it was not unusual for keen skaters to have to go all the way up to Sydney each weekend, just to be able to, you know, hone their skills on a facility that challenges them.”

The motion to endorse the sites and seek public feedback was carried. 

Backlash over 'absurd proposal'

This week Jan Brown, a long-term resident of Thirroul, wrote a Letter to the Editor, saying: “I was appalled to see that W.F. Jackson Park was named as the proposed site for a skatepark. I fully support the idea of a skatepark but NOT at the expense of this delightful small haven.

"Not only is it unsafe, being next to a major road, but also why destroy an established, pleasant, green community park when viable alternatives are available. The under-utilised railway car park for example which is already being used by skateboarders. It is safe, away from traffic, centrally located, near the station, there is parking on hand and the basic groundwork is already there and so no upheaval in construction and the community, young and old, can  still enjoy W.F. Jackson Park.

"Another site which would be suitable is the wasteland next to Coles car park which would offer the same benefits as mentioned previously. I hope that the local community will rally against this absurd proposal and that common sense will prevail.”

Safety concerns raised

Two volunteer-run groups, Thirroul Village Committee (TVC) and the Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group (NIRAG), recognise that some members have concerns over the proposed site.  

NIRAG suggested alternatives – such as the Bulli Showground site or Slacky Flat on the eastern side – but these were ruled out in the review that council commissioned from Convic, a skatepark designer and builder. 

TVC president Ray Smith and secretary Annette Jones issued a joint statement, saying:  "The TVC has always supported the construction of a skate park and, over many years, worked with Council and skater groups to identify a suitable location.

“Like NIRAG the TVC suggested alternative locations to those identified by Council – such as the Bulli Showground site or the open green space facing the Princes Highway at Bulli in front of the showground, which is easily accessible from Bulli Station and highly visible. Both suggestions were rejected.

“Many TVC and community members have raised concerns about a skate park in W.F. Jackson Park due to its proximity to the busy Lawrence Hargrave Drive (LHD), and the well-used adjacent pedestrian footpath. Council has stated that mitigation measures such as fencing can be constructed to protect pedestrians and skaters, which would be necessary as W.F. Jackson Park and footpath are on sloping ground. It is feared inexperienced skaters could lose control and end up on LHD, unless suitable safety controls are installed.

“Safety concerns have also been raised about access to W.F. Jackson Park as skaters travelling by train would need to cross the busy LHD to access the site. A pedestrian crossing would not be possible in this location. In addition, there are limited car spaces close by – around 4 cars next to the park, with a time limit of one hour. And there are no toilet facilities in the park.

“W.F. Jackson Park is the only green space the community has in the middle of Thirroul township and, as such, a prized site. Any skate park would need to be carefully integrated into the available green space to make it inviting for the whole community. As people know, green spaces are invaluable to local communities and to the environment.”

Report picked W.F. Jackson Park

According to the Convic review, Thomas Gibson Park Tennis Courts was out due to the impact on football, rugby league and tennis players. Bulli Showground was out as Transport for NSW looks into a Bulli Bypass project. Thirroul’s MacCauley Park lacked “strong natural surveillance” and was close to homes, so came with noise concerns. Austinmer’s Pinecourt Park was too far from a station.

Feedback closes at midnight on 17 November. Speak to council staff at pop-up consults at W.F. Jackson Park tomorrow (Saturday, 8 November, 9-11:30am) and Friday, November 14 (3-5pm).

To find out more and make a submission go to council's Our Wollongong page.