A multi-million-dollar skate park plan for Saxton Field is hoped to be a training ground for local Olympians.
Concept designs for the $6.3 million facility were unveiled during a joint council committee meeting earlier this month.
The approximately 4000-square-metre park is set to be built at Avery Field, part of the Saxton Field sportsground complex that the region’s two councils jointly manage.
But the Nelson City and Tasman District Councils are only contributing $300,000 each, with the rest to be fundraised.
Skate Nelson Bays chair Douglas Jackson told Local Democracy Reporting that fundraising was expected to kick off later in October.
“We’ve got the passion, and so we’re quite excited to get this fundraising going,” he says.
“We all know that there’s a financial crisis and stuff like that. But there are people that are willing to donate… so we’ll just have to see what comes out.”
The park has three distinct zones: a beginners’ section, an advanced street section, and a large skating bowl that was up to 12 feet deep – which would meet international benchmarks to be one of the deepest bowls in the country.
“This is what you need to grow Olympians. Skateboarding is now an Olympic sport, so you might have Olympians coming from this region,” Douglas says.
“People from even Australia would come to ride this bowl because of its size and significance.”
The park had been designed in consultation with a range of users, and will cater to skaters, BMXers, roller skaters and bladers, scooter riders, and those in wheelchairs.
Once built, it would provide a place for people to build connections with those they otherwise wouldn’t, grow their skills, and get exercise.
“It’s a very healthy place to build confidence and find a community, and it’s also recreational activities,” Douglas says.
“The more skaters that are grown from this facility, it’s just going to create more life everywhere else, in the neighbouring skate parks.”
The region’s elected members who sit on the joint Saxton Field committee were “very excited” by the project, with Tasman councillor Mike Kininmonth saying the skate park was a “golden opportunity” for the local youth.
The trajectory of the fundraising will determine the construction timeline and final scope of the project, with a round of public consultation expected to inform the final design.
Nelson City Council’s manager capital projects Rebecca Dawkins says Avery Field was chosen after consultation with residents ruled out the Circus Green.
Ease of access for Nelson and Tasman residents, proximity to bus stops, toilets, and parking, and open lines of sight to enable a safe environment were key factors that were considered.
Locating the skate park alongside the inclusive playspace that was being developed elsewhere at Saxton Field was also considered but opted against due to the different audiences and requirements of the two facilities, Rebecca says.
To date, the two councils have jointly spent $38,000 on design and investigation work for the park.
“The Nelson Tasman region is lucky to have such a motivated and well-organised community organisation, in Skate Nelson Bays, advocating for what will be a well-used facility in the region.”
