Youth park comment sought

A site for Waroona’s new Youth Precinct is yet to be selected, following a unanimous decision made at last week’s council meeting.

Although Australian skatepark designers CONVIC undertook a site selection assessment and presented a report to the council, councillors decided to put potential sites out for community comment.

In October last year CONVIC was commissioned to deliver a concept design for the Waroona Youth Precinct and a site selection assessment was undertaken.

A report from council staff said the location of a youth precinct was critical in ensuring the future usage and effectiveness of the community asset.

It said the site selection assessment carried out by CONVIC considered each site against 10 factors.

The site selection assessment scored the Waroona Showgrounds as the most suitable location with a score of 91 per cent, the existing skatepark site with a score of 78 per cent and Centennial Park with a score of 74 per cent.

Waroona shire president Mike Walmsley said the agricultural society and football club had expressed their concerns regarding the loss of space should the showgrounds be chosen as the selected site.

“The Waroona Show is a significant event for the shire, and every year its growing,” Mr Walmsley said.

“This particular area is really well used during show day, and if we encroach on that it will impact the show which draws in crowds of 19,000 or more.”

Mr Walmsley admitted that while the report conducted by CONVIC was useful, it was not handled in the right order.

“At the moment it is looking like the community are wanting the precinct to stay where it is, but at least now we can say three sites have been correctly assessed when considering the decision,” Cr Walmsley said.

“With kids spending more of their time inside than outside, the focus on youth and a site like this will be extremely beneficial, and finding a space that both the community and council agree upon is vital.”