4.3 Million for Umina Beach Recreation Area/ Super Park
Just announced...with funding to the tune of 4.3 million, is a super park for Umina Beach NSW..to include "junior and senior playgrounds, all ages fitness equpt, BBQs, tables, landscaping, cafe and (what got my ears pricked up) pathways/ cycleways and upgrade to the existing skatepark".
I have sent a few emails to councilors and committees stating
" In addition to the existing skatepark ugrade...I propose for the inclusion of some sort of 'track' surfaced with concrete or bitumen about 4 to 5 metres wide..100 to 200 meteres long with a slight to moderate incline in parts, flat in other parts and sutble mounds and banks in parts primarily for the purpose of longboard skateboarding, free ride and slalom skateboarding, types of skateboarding that are growing rapidly in popularity but mostly unsupported, as yet, in skatepark and urban recreation area design.."
"This could be included in the scope of 'cycleways and paths' to form part of a big network of various paths/cycleways linking the areas together..or be considered as a totally separate track. As well as skateboarding, the track could be suitable for scooters, rollerblades and kids bikes.. it could even be lengthened to provide for criterium racing (like Mt Stromlo, Canberra) short track triathlon (perfect location by the beach) and in line distance racing..at which regional competitions could be staged adding commercial benefit for the Peninsula and Gosford."
The response has been very positive, particulary from a few councillors and the lady who is president of the Peninsula Families Action Group..who have been instrumental in securing funding for the project in the first place and have asked if I could provide images ,diagrams or visuals of what I'm talking about...
If anyone has pics or internet links of low carving banks..moguls..or "pump mounds" (Shadows phrase) or any other ideas that could be included in a multi use slalom/skateboarding track..it'd be good to take to the next meeting on the 16 June..(public meeting so anyones free to attend and put their ideas forward.
Who knows ..a long distance slalom, with aspects of tight slalom, big wide pumping slalom and slalom through mounds and banks in the ultimate Naccos slalom challenge! could be on the cards.
I have sent a few emails to councilors and committees stating
" In addition to the existing skatepark ugrade...I propose for the inclusion of some sort of 'track' surfaced with concrete or bitumen about 4 to 5 metres wide..100 to 200 meteres long with a slight to moderate incline in parts, flat in other parts and sutble mounds and banks in parts primarily for the purpose of longboard skateboarding, free ride and slalom skateboarding, types of skateboarding that are growing rapidly in popularity but mostly unsupported, as yet, in skatepark and urban recreation area design.."
"This could be included in the scope of 'cycleways and paths' to form part of a big network of various paths/cycleways linking the areas together..or be considered as a totally separate track. As well as skateboarding, the track could be suitable for scooters, rollerblades and kids bikes.. it could even be lengthened to provide for criterium racing (like Mt Stromlo, Canberra) short track triathlon (perfect location by the beach) and in line distance racing..at which regional competitions could be staged adding commercial benefit for the Peninsula and Gosford."
The response has been very positive, particulary from a few councillors and the lady who is president of the Peninsula Families Action Group..who have been instrumental in securing funding for the project in the first place and have asked if I could provide images ,diagrams or visuals of what I'm talking about...
If anyone has pics or internet links of low carving banks..moguls..or "pump mounds" (Shadows phrase) or any other ideas that could be included in a multi use slalom/skateboarding track..it'd be good to take to the next meeting on the 16 June..(public meeting so anyones free to attend and put their ideas forward.
Who knows ..a long distance slalom, with aspects of tight slalom, big wide pumping slalom and slalom through mounds and banks in the ultimate Naccos slalom challenge! could be on the cards.
Views: 73
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Arran Pratt on
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The whole of the Umina,Ettalong,Woy Woy Peninsula is flat as a pancake..so at best theres a little bit of earth moving to get any sort of slope happening. We're looking at long gradual but small inclines.(just enough to keep you rolling) .the up side is not having to walk up any hills to get back to the start. The snake run idea would work if they just added it to both sides of a wide path or whole track, possibly 2m high in parts 1/2 metre shallow walls in other parts...sorta what I had in mind.. The reason for the positive response is the 'multi use' angle i'm putting forward..I think thats what's gonna justify the $ being allocated. Classic snake run might be a possibilty for the skate park upgrade? worth putting forward for sure
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Rodgers on
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Crazy bro!! ideas just come flooding, Big west Hobart style 100+m Snake run into bowl? A Boarder X Track on either concrete or bitumen with ramped starting gates similar to a bmx and a downhill track depending on the slope. Big air Ramp style set up. Hope this is the start of them popping up in a few of the towns along the east coast. Good Luck and Fingers crossed for all our wishes to come true. Maybe the start of a big migration into Naccos Land.
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Premium MemberPermalink Reply by nathan on -
Im working on some unrelated things at work at the moment but have noticed that the federal governements "Jobs Fund" is a veritable gold mine of funding and actually has at least $40 Million allocated for "Bike Paths" alone. I think the "multi Purpose " approach is really clever and the way to go.
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ASRA AdminPermalink Reply by Jack meyn on -
yewww.
10 minute drive and im there
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Permalink Reply by leighgriffiths on
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clever thinking for sure. good job dude.
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I attended the 2nd public design meeting last night..to get a feel for what was actually being proposed with the 4 mill budget..
Firstly any enthusiasm for what was possibly planned for the Umina "skatepark upgrade" I'd read about in all the local media was squashed. Apparently, even the media release from Anthony Albanese, Federal Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, Regional Development and Local Government was "incorrect" and that The Umina Skate facility "had already been upgraded" (back in 2001!) and no part of the 4.3 million was going to any skatepark upgrade. There was a comment suggesting that the way to prevent vandalism was to 'rip out the existing skatepark'..so at this stage amoungst a room full of attendees.. that let's just say weren't into their 'wheeled recreational devices'..I'm feeling like I'm facing an uphill effort to convince anybody there of anything to do with 'skateboards'
There is only the Bicycle/Pathways aspect left...and any sort of mounds, banks or roll overs despite being relatively cheap in relation to whats being spent, vandal proof and requiring no maintenance....and able to be utilised by scooters ripsticks,carveboards,longboards and cruisers by a wide range of ages ..simply aint gonna happen.....but I will still send some sketches .diagrams, plans and photos from the asra site into the relevant people and maybe somebody during the design stage may look at them?
There is a positive enthusiasm for the area..but nearly all people and the council officers in charge are concerned with playground and fitness equiptment (they've alocated 350K for a 'spider web' style climbing construction) and I feel like i'm only banging my head against a wall trying to convince Gosford Council of the change and growth that skateboarding is experiencing...let alone the explosion in scooter and ripstick sales ect..that haven't, as yet, been factored in to this proposal.
Oh Yeah...there will be a 'trike track' for 2 to 4 year olds that will have..get this...banked corners and edges! All I have to do is teach my 18 month old how to carve a skateboard and he'll be loving it!
Let's just hope they don't build any houses at Sidonia anytime soon
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ASRA AdminPermalink Reply by Bugs on -
Hang in there Arran. It's persistence from folks like you that gets skate facilities built.
"Luck is where opportunity meets preparation" - if you keep preparing the ground/people, then sooner or later the opportunity will arise and the park will be built.
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Permalink Reply by Aych on
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The whole discussion of those in local power constantly battling against skateboarding arose a little while ago; "you're obviously missing something because after all these years if there was good to come of all these skate parks it would have been noted and someone would have done something about it" I was told. The conversation carried on flowing, along with the beer, and I was asked why people like us don't end up in voted positions where we can be instrumental in changing things. Stumped through a soft alcohol glaze we drifted onto another topic. Reading what has happened in the last meeting it has suddenly occurred to me; if anyone has ever been to one of these wholly frustrating meetings there is no way that anyone who has ever skated for any number of years would last five minutes on the top table among the voted in few. Most of us have found ASRA full of unpretentious, understanding, fair minded balanced people who can see and appreciate other view points, whether they agree with them or not; vote me into office and put me in the middle of councillors and I know I'd end up bopping someone on the nose very quickly.......all we can do is be part of the voice in the back of their minds that just doesn't go away and for those of age remind them that the vote can be a powerful thing...........
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Permalink Reply by speedy canuck on
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unfortunately the general population sees all sk8rs the same way, even tho the longboarding community(i use the term loosly, even tho many of us ride park and street as well) holds a much different set of values than the typical me me me skateshop short board only park brats that society lumps all sk8rs into. but hey Nothing good ever came easy so don't give up the battle.
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Premium MemberPermalink Reply by pete hill on -
because we live in the "smart state" with drongos like bligh and newman and fraser running the show ,after this week i wouldnt be surprised if they end up selling our souls to pull us out of the hole they are digging us into
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