The Rushcutters Bay skatepark saga is not over

Opinion By CHARLOTTE FELDMAN

Mr Andrew Woodhouse has written and been quoted in City Hub regarding his role in saving Rushcutters Bay Park from the construction of a concrete skateboard facility being built there. Mr Woodhouse omitted to mention the Darling Point Society, which has been fighting against this plan on behalf of residents for four years, with petitions, objections and public surveys. The Darling Point Society gathered a petition of 2,600 signatures opposing the plan which was tabled in Parliament by the Hon. Gabrielle Upton on 26 June 2019.

Woollahra Municipal Council has 15 councillors and they voted 13 – Nil in favour of the concrete structure being constructed in our precious green space.

The Darling Point Society has fought against this proposal since 2017 and the reasons why we object is quite long.

-Noise impact
-Safety
-Location
-Maintenance and supervision
-Tree damage due to compaction of roof plates, lack of air and moisture
-No parking
-No supervision of facility
-Lights
-Loss of green space
-Disruption to wildlife
-Mixed frequentations
-Cost of building, approx. $1.4m.

The $1.4 million contract has been awarded to CONVIC a company specialising in building skateparks. The planned facility is the size of an Olympic swimming pool which will take up 1,225 sqm of open green land. The slab and piers plus a complex superstructure may result in 1 cubic metre of concrete per 1 sqm. This is estimated to weigh close to 2,940 tons when considering one cubic metre of concrete weighs 2,400 (slightly over a ton), equal to the weight of 1,940 cars.

We agree that youth recreational facilities are needed in the Eastern Suburbs and the Society already recommended nine other suitable sites in the Municipality where a skateboard park could be successfully built without interfering with green space, only to be ignored by council who are determined to go ahead with their plan. The Society feels council should investigate other sites in the East for a large variety of physical and recreational facilities in a safe and friendly facility.

City Hub has previously published various articles about the skateboard facility in Rushcutters Bay Park.

Charlotte Feldman is the President of the Darling Point Society Inc.