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Gosford City Council

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Skate Parks

Gosford City Council has developed Skate Parks at Paddy Clifton Oval - Narara, Umina Oval - Umina Beach and Kariong Oval - Kariong. A skatepark strategy has been adopted by Gosford City Council which will see additional skateparks developed at Kincumber, Mangrove Mountain, East Gosford, Saratoga, Coastal Precinct and Peninsula Precinct. A mobile skatepark will also be developed to service additional locations.

The Skate Parks are unsupervised and are available for use only during daylight hours. The facilities are available for use by skaters, rollerbladers and even BMX and scooter riders. Motor cycles are not permitted.

The facilities have been designed with safety in mind and conform to recognised industry standards. Signs have been erected informing users of the risks associated with the activity and strongly recommend the use of protective safety equipment such as helmets, knee and elbow pads.

The total cost to develop the Narara facility (1996) was $78,208 and the Umina facility (1999) was $89,872.

Skateboard Clinics

Skateboard clinics are successfully conducted at Council's Skate Parks. They serve a number of functions:

  1. Risk Management. By teaching skaters the basics of skateboarding including safety and awareness, the risk of injury is minimised.
  2. Access. Smaller and younger skaters can be intimidated by older and more experienced skaters. The clinics show them that the facility is available for all levels of skaters and gives them the confidence to mix with the older users.
  3. Community Service. Council considers the clinics to be an important tool in managing the facility. The clinics provide a direct service to the community which would not be available if Council did not operate the clinics.
  4. Improving the Image. Skateboarding is still perceived by some to be a precursor to anti-social behaviour. The clinics introduce parents to the sport of skateboarding and helps familiarise them with the sport. In doing so this help to de-stigmatise the "negative" image that the sport has for some individuals.