Thirroul Village Committee's December Update

In early November Council placed plans for the northern suburbs skatepark on public exhibition, with the preferred location being Thirroul’s WF Jackson Park. The community was encouraged to make submissions to Council about this proposal.

The TVC has always supported the construction of a skate park and, over almost 30 years, worked with Council and various skater groups to identify a suitable location. Many TVC and community members have concerns about Council’s preference for WF Jackson Park due to its proximity to the busy Lawrence Hargrave Drive (LHD), and the well-used adjacent pedestrian footpath. The TVC has raised these concerns with Council, which stated that mitigation measures such as fencing can be constructed to protect pedestrians and skaters.

WF Jackson Park and footpath are on sloping ground and it is feared inexperienced skaters could lose control and collide with a pedestrian or end up on LHD unless safety measures are installed.

Safety concerns have also been raised about park access as skaters travelling by train would need to cross the busy LHD to reach the site. A pedestrian crossing would not be possible in this location.

WF Jackson Park is the only green space the community has in the middle of Thirroul township and, as such, is a prized location. Any skate park would need to be carefully integrated into the available green space to make it inviting for the whole community. Green spaces are invaluable to local communities as well as the environment.

Council’s Sport and Recreation team hope that the survey results will be out before Christmas.

Engaging on Thirroul Plaza

The TVC and Save Thirroul Village (STV) continue to engage with project development manager Louis Goulimis, from Solid Void. Louis informed the TVC and STV that work is continuing on the plaza design and that the project is in the testing-of-concept phase for options they are exploring. Once completed, the concept will be presented to the community for discussion. It is anticipated this will happen early in the new year. Thereafter plans will be presented to the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) for their comment and feedback. The TVC and STV will continue to keep the community informed as to what is happening with the plaza.