MOUNT Gambier City Council has secured the future of Dimjalla Skate Park until 2022.
Council currently leases the privately owned land east of the junction of Attamurra Road and Jubilee Highway East, with the final right of renewal set to expire in June 2018.
Elected members resolved at Tuesday’s full council meeting to renew the lease with the landholder Bedford Group beyond 2018 and secure the site until June 2022.
An initial two-year lease with one year right of renewal was commenced in 2014, with the first right of renewal period exercised for July 2016 to June 2017 and the second and final right of renewal finalised in June this year.
“Council will negotiate a similar leasing arrangement with the landholder and secure the skate park for another four years,” council chief executive Mark McShane told The Border Watch.
Mr McShane said council had previously considered building a skate park in a more central location.
“It’s certainly something council has discussed previously,” he said.
“Right now council is conducting a comprehensive youth engagement strategy which will be concluded at the end of the year.
“The youth engagement strategy will inform council if that’s a potential outcome.”
Daktari Sport Mount Gambier manager Nick Brooks welcomed council’s decision to extend the lease at the Dimjalla site and suggested a pump track as a viable option closer to the central business district.
“Pump tracks are an undulating circuit for bike riders and skaters of all abilities, usually constructed using hot mix,” Mr Brooks said.
“We have two skate parks, I don’t think we need a third at this stage, so if council were considering something more centrally located in the near future I think a pump track would be pretty well suited to the Rail Lands area.
“It could be one larger track or a few smaller ones along the rail trail – I think that would be a massive asset to the town.”
Mr Brooks said given Dimjalla Skate Park had been secured for a further four years, a pump track would be a family-friendly alternative.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see five skate parks in town, but a pump track is cheaper to build and skate parks are much better suited to older kids,” he said.
“It would alleviate some of the pressure at the skate parks, when they are swamped kids are constantly cutting each other off.
“A pump track would be more suitable for little kids and beginners and it would bridge that gap between the experienced skaters and riders and the younger ones.”
