Plans to use the Recreation Ground as the home for Queenstown's skatepark have been rejected. The majority of the hearings panel felt that the cumulative effect of roading, car parking and a skateboard park in this central location posed too great a risk to the recreation reserve. They believed a mass of concrete could not be mitigated sufficiently, and would conflict with the desire to retain green space within the CBD.

The council has chosen to pursue another location for the skatepark. Options so far include; Queenstown Gardens, One Mile, St Omer Park, Queenstown Events Centre, Warren Park, City Impact Church land, Hansen Rd, Frankton, Youth Hostel Reserve. The public are invited to lodge submissions between now and April 27. The money for a new skatepark is available, but all that needs deciding is the location.

In total, 322 written submissions were received and 23 people stood up at the hearing to have their say. Of the written submissions, 236 were in opposition. The submissions recieved reflected a collective view against skateboarding as a whole, rather than the location chosen.

This one from a member of the Queenstown Police: "Central Town location invites TROUBLE. Skateparks are areas where undesirables hang out, encourages underage drinking, tagging and other offenses. Spending money on a sport that only a few people do is stupid". Other comments included "Skaters are idiots", "Skateboarding is a half-arsed sport", "Skateboarders do not contribute to the community".

I'm a skater and these comments were disheartening. How can the public perceive skaters in such a prejudiced way? I'm not an idiot, pursuing a half-arsed sport and I do contribute to the community. What's to stop the same people opposing the 'idea' of skateboarding come the next round of public submissions?

I decided to do some fact checking of my own and called Queenstown Police to find out what the stats were on the Garden's skatepark. Unfortunately, the Officer responsible for crime statistics in Queenstown is away on annual leave. But the receptionist mentioned she has no recollection of any call-outs to the Garden's skatepark. If skateparks are areas where so-called bad people hang-out, then why would we want a skatepark in a secluded and private area? If that perception is correct, I'd certainly want a skatepark in a more public area as a form of prevention, rather than sweeping it under the carpet.

Ex-Councilor David Clarke was one of the main driving forces behind Arrowtown's successful skatepark. "We looked into it when we were drawing up the landscaping plans for Ramshaw Lane. We liaised with the kids and they wanted an area that was close to town so they could be safe and to also show off, as kids do," said Clarke. "We included rubbish bins, and a water tap but didn't provide night-time lighting. There was some opposition to the skatepark but nothing like what we've seen with the proposed Queenstown park. To date it's been well accepted, especially by mums."

Skateboarding first emerged in the United States in the 1950s and has been gaining in popularity ever since. The number of skateboarders worldwide is now estimated at eighteen million. One in ten U.S. teenagers currently owns or rides a skateboard and skateboarding has recently seen the biggest growth of any sport - more than 600 skateparks were built in 2001. Skateboarding is the sixth largest participation sport. And, consider this: the skateboard industry generates about $5.7 billion in annual revenue, as much as surfing and snowboarding combined.

Skateboarding, and it's surrounding mega-million dollar industry, is something that Queenstown could embrace rather than shun away from. The prejudice attitude reflected in some of the opposition submissions can create a vicious circle. Stereotyping the skateboarding youth as a brand of misfits and trouble-making underage drinkers, invites young people to fulfill that role.

I was for the skatepark, but against the location and I look forward to more information being released from the council on the new proposed locations, (which we will keep you posted on). The debate needs to be about the suitability of the skatepark location, rather than ripping shreds out of skaters. Skaters have feelings too.


Proposed Skatepark Sites