HOW’S your kick flip? Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or expert skater, Wollongong City Council is asking for help with designing two new skate parks at Thirroul and Wollongong.

Council has been asking for general community feedback on four proposed skate projects, including at Thirroul. Since the process started last month, 417 people have shared their initial feedback.

Council is continuing to review potential locations in Thirroul and Wollongong for two parks and have engaged an internationally-renown design firm, Convic, to help prepare a vision.

Council is now calling for specific feedback on the skate park features to consider in the future designs.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said that community consultation was an important step of the development phase of new facilities and Council wanted to hear from the community on possible design elements.

“Do you want us to build a traditional skate park, a street skate park or do you love a deep bowl? What other future amenities would you like included in the design of the new skate parks? For example, would you like shade, seating, art, or a hang out space?” Cr Bradbery said.

“These are the sorts of questions we’re drilling down into in this next phase of community consultation. Our focus for now is on learning what design elements our community would like, as this information will help us identify the most appropriate location.”

The proposed skate parks for Thirroul and Wollongong, will join the ranks of the city’s existing five facilities between Helensburgh and Dapto. By calling for community feedback and spending time in the design space, Council will be able to make sure the proposed facilities meet the needs of people of different ages and interests.

Council’s Director Community Services Kerry Hunt said that as part of the design work, the facilities will be accessible and inclusive.

“We want our new facilities to be welcoming spaces for everyone. That includes families, women, girls, gender diverse people and people with disability. Some of the options we’re considering are things like gender sensitive design to make the skate parks feel safer, as well as exploring options to improve accessibility,” Ms Hunt said.

“The proposed skate parks will be a big investment for Wollongong City Council and it’s important we get the design right. Our goal is to create an excellent new skate park that’s created and designed in a meaningful way.”

If you are interested in the project, you have until 24 May 2024 to share your ideas and feedback. Visit the Our Wollongong website for more information.

For each suburb’s survey, see here:

• Thirroul survey link – Pre-Design Survey | Our Wollongong (nsw.gov.au).
• Wollongong City Centre survey link – Pre-Design Survey | Our Wollongong (nsw.gov.au)

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