Skates on for repairs

Chot and Jack are two local Endeavour Hills skateboarders trying to make their local skate park safer.

By LACHLAN MOORHEAD

A GROUP of Endeavour Hills skateboarders have appealed to Casey council for their neighbourhood skate park to be repaired after one of the boys injured his arm in a skating accident.
The group of teenagers met with Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan this month to discuss the repair of their beloved Endeavour Hills skate park at Raymond McMahon Boulevard.
Fourteen-year-old Jack Nuebel, who fell off his skateboard and ripped the skin off his arm at the skate park, said the facility wasn’t up to scratch any more.
“The floor has little holes in it and part of it is separating,” he said.
“Four or five years ago there was nothing wrong with it but now it’s really bad.”
Jack’s fellow skateboarder Chot Gatkuath suggested the idea of approaching Mr Donnellan’s office to ask for an upgrade to the facility.
“We all just want a safer place to skate,” Chot said.
“We did it because there are little six to 10-year-olds who skate there and we don’t want them hurting themselves.”
Mr Donnellan agreed that the skate park was in desperate need of an upgrade and said the responsility now fell to the council.
“I am keen to see the skate facility upgraded and improved as it is so heavily used and it is ideally positioned close to the shopping centre, community centre and library and is easy to access from the residential areas of Endeavour Hills and also close to public transport,” he said.
“I have written to council on behalf of the skaters and are awaiting a response.”