The people of Chinchilla are celebrating a tender for an upgrade to the skate park was accepted to be funded by both state and local councils. The project has been driven by Chinchilla residents Brad Ehlers and wife Claudia Ehlers who collected more than 400 signatures and petitioned Council for the project.
The redevelopment of the skate park will be funded by $200,000 as part of the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland Program and a further $100,000 of Council’s capital works allocation. Council Spokesperson for Parks and Open Spaces Councillor Carolyn Tillman said the tender has been awarded to Concrete Skateparks Pty Ltd who have an excellent record with delivering projects on time and on budget. “This contractor has around 25 years’ experience in their field and has completed a large number of skate parks throughout Australia and I’m confident they can deliver a great facility for Chinchilla,” she said. “The Chinchilla Skate Park will be a valued recreational space and that’s important to give our residents a place to have fun and connect. We value our vibrant communities in the Western Downs and part of that is ensuring our towns have great services and public spaces for people to enjoy.”
Skatepark campaigner Claudia Ehlers said she was thrilled that the project was moving along. “It will be pretty exciting! I think that an invigorated skate park can provide a sense of pride and ownership, and belonging to the community,” she said. “As for locals it is something we can all be proud of and it specifically gives another avenue for youth activities.”
Skateparks form a part of adolescent social networks as well as providing a space for exercise. Skateboarding can greatly improve cognitive ability and flexibility.
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