By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
WHEN a group of Endeavour Hills teenagers complained to a local security guard about their dilapidated skate park, he told them the answer was simple – get it fixed.
Several months later the facility is set for a facelift from Casey Council after Jarrad Christie, a security guard at the Endeavour Hills shopping centre, took the skaters to see their local MP, Luke Donnellan, with boards and scooters in tow.
Mr Christie, who patrols the area where the skate park is located, said the kids didn’t know who to turn to about the run-down rink which had already caused several injuries.
“I saw the kids in the shopping centre and when I asked why they weren’t at the skate park they said it was ruined,” he said.
“I told them they had to either see the council or see their local member of parliament and they said ‘who’s that?’ and I said ‘come with me’ and walked them straight into Luke’s office.”
Mr Donnellan, the Narre Warren North MP, has played a crucial role in seeking the skate park’s refurbishment after the boys, aged 14 to 15, alerted him to its missing bolts, damaged surface and loose panelling.
Mr Donnellan called on the City of Casey to address the safety issue in August and the council has agreed to have the facility repaired.
“What’s being dealt with initially is the OH and S stuff, tying down all the loose bits until they work out the master plan,” Mr Donnellan said.
“If you come against these hazards and your wheels aren’t good, you’ll just go bouncing straight over.”
Casey councillor Rafal Kaplon, whose ward includes the skate park, said its repairs are part of a larger project which isn’t expected to start until the next financial year.
“We’re working on having the whole area redeveloped into a civic precinct which will include a town square plaza idea into which the skating facilities will be in-built into the square,” he said.
“This will allow people to walk through the square or skate through the square and use bits of the square to do tricks and whatever they want to do.”
And the skaters are more than ready to do tricks on a skate ramp without having to worry if they’ll fall off.
“We’re pretty excited and can’t wait to be using a new skate park,” Chot, one of the skaters, said.
“We come here nearly every day and the only reason we wanted to make it a new skate park was for the kids who come here so they don’t get hurt.”
