We’re going to co-design and identify an appropriate location for a destination skate park for the city, as well as make some upgrades to existing skate facilities.
Location of destination skate park – Hull Road, Mount Maunganui
The new destination skatepark will be located on the corner of Hull Road and Maunganui Road, opposite the New World supermarket on Maunganui Road.
This site was chosen for a number of reasons, including:
- its high-profile location which will add value to the surf/skate culture in Tauranga
- excellent passive surveillance (people can keep an eye out for each other)
- its proximity to a range of amenities including shops, toilets, Mount Maunganui beach and Blake Park
- its location on existing cycleway and public transport routes, enabling easier access by foot, bike, skating and other roller modes
- it can be integrated with planned traffic and pedestrian safety improvements along Maunganui and Hull Roads, and Tweed and Dee Streets in 2023-2024
- it offers good opportunities for linking different skate zones together.
Survey and co-design group
In October-November 2021 we surveyed wheel-spinning user groups such as skaters, scooters, trick BMX and other roller groups to help inform why and where you skate and what makes a good skate park. There was also an opportunity for you to register your interest to be part of the community design group.
The 24-member community design group met in February 2022 for the first of a series of design workshops. Our next workshop is scheduled for July.
With a location now determined, the skate park concept will continue to evolve from this process, working with the skatepark designer and council staff. Engagement and working with the community in this co-design arrangement is central to the project.
Read more about the community design group and your response to our survey below.
Skate park design process ready to roll
The community design group met in February 2022 for the first of a series of design workshops.
Why is Council building a destination skate park?
Through the Long-term Plan we have funding allocated for the upgrade of existing skate facilities and a contribution towards a destination skate park.
Our growing skater community has told us our existing skate facilities are outdated and don’t provide for different skating experiences i.e. scootering, skateboarding, BMX, inline and roller skating.
Tauranga has a long history of being one of Aotearoa’s favourite surfing destinations. This ‘brand’ of outdoor adventure sports also includes skateboarding and other roller sports and is important to the people of Tauranga.
The skating industry has told us more people have been taking up surfing and skateboarding in Tauranga since the addition of these sports to the Olympic programme.
Skating is an accessible and inclusive activity, with active participants from a range of demographics, gender and backgrounds.
Skating provides physical, mental and social benefits. It’s a fun, unstructured, affordable activity that promotes being active and creative in suitable outdoor environments.
A world-class facility will help aspiring Olympic skateboarders and attract skating events both domestically and internationally, providing a boost to our local tourism industry and economy.
Skate park upgrades
In December 2021 we added a new mini ramp – a partnership with Sam Robertson from Sam’s Skate School – and a new wedge ramp to the skate park at Memorial Park.
Some of the feedback we received from the survey was around not having enough facilities for beginner skaters so the addition of a mini ramp at Memorial Park will help young skaters learn how to transition from horizontal to vertical skateboarding before tackling some of the larger vert ramps around the city.
Further improvements to the Memorial Park skate park will be made in August. Working with the community design group and our skate designer, we’ve come up with some super fun street-skate obstacles such as a manual ledge, a pole jam, a glass reinforced concrete (GRC) standard ledge and bank ledge, three different types of kerb grinders, and even a fire hydrant with GRC kicker! We’ll be reconfiguring the layout with some local skaters, so watch this space.
