A group of Yackandandah residents are urging Indigo Council to reconsider plans for a new skate park and better utilise recreation opportunities at the chosen site.
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The current skate park is adjacent to commissioners creek and the 160-year-old stone bridge which marks the southern entrance to the town.
Funding has recently been secured to rebuild the park where it stands, with works due to go to tender soon.
But a community meeting on Thursday identified support for a different location and developing the current site into a community space with the heritage-listed bridge as a centrepiece.
Kevin Poyner, with fellow resident David Larkin, has driven the push.
“It’s historically significant … it’s the oldest in-use stone bridge in Victoria,” he said.
“People who were on the committee when the skate park was first installed over 15 years ago were at the meeting on Thursday and said it was referred to as a temporary skate park.
“The shire had bought the tennis courts that were there and at the time the kids wanted a skate park, so it seemed an ideal location.
“The ramps are steel so they could be bolted and moved to a more permanent location.”
The existing equipment has been integrated into the new skate park design, which has been dedicated $250,000 in council and state government funding.
Mr Poyner said 60 per cent of attendees to Thursday’s community meeting supported a move of the skate park to a different location – Isaacs Park had been floated as an alternative.
“The funding should go to the skate park, and then we start again at the bridge site – set up a new steering committee to advise what costs are and what features the community wants,” he said.
“Picnic tables and barbecues were discussed … we could move the pedestrian bridge so that there is a better view of the stone bridge.
“It’s really obvious no one has considered that particular bridge and now is the time to do something about it.”
Council development and planning director Mark Florence said council “would work with the newly formed community committee to develop a way forward, which includes use of the grant funding and council budget allocation”.
