Skate+Park

Earlier this year, Council purchased the vacant site bounded by St Aubyn Street, King Street and Avenue Road from the Hastings RSA. 

We are now in the process of planning the development of the site which will feature park like grounds, a children's playground and a skate plaza designed to provide additional recreation opportunities for young people.

• Consultation brochure (PDF 2.7MB)

Features of the plan include:

• 4000m2 bounded by Avenue Road and King Street dedicated to a public park;
• 2000m2 bounded by St Aubyn Street and King Street dedicated to a skate plaza.

The Hastings Youth Council is helping to raise funds for the Skate+park

The proposed park includes open grass areas, including a variety of concrete and timber seating edges, gardens and pathways to access the playground and toilets.

The children's playground is located opposite the RSA and will incorporate swings and slides and could also include sculptural elements.

Further measures will be included in the final design to ensure that the area is as safe as possible for residents, surrounding businesses and park users. 

The skate plaza is intended to resemble a modern urban plaza, equipped with street skate elements and a bowl, which will be integrated into the adjacent park and footpath network.

Have your say

We are very interested to hear your thoughts on the Draft Concept Plan.

This plan is not detailed or finalised, and we're interested in knowing which features you like and which you don't. We will use your feedback to improve the plan and create a park which works well for the whole community.

You can comment by: 

• Visiting the Hastings Skate+Park Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hastingsnzskatepark
• Contacting us on the details below:
  Rachel Stuart
  Hastings District Council
  Ph 871 5000
  rachels@hdc.govt.nz

Concept drawings

Video flyover

Questions and answers

1. Why does Hastings need a skate facility?

• There is no existing facility in Hastings
• It will provide the community with an accepted and approved skate area
• It is in a central location that will provide maximum accessibility
• It will encourage a safe skater environment
• It has been designed for multi-aged/various skilled skaters
• It will encourage community pride
• It will reduce damage to public and private places
• It will increase public safety & skater safety
• It will give kids a safe place to skate

2. What factors were taken into account in choosing this location?

We considered a number of locations and this proposed site scored highly on issues such as visibility, pedestrian activity, proximity to the residential neighborhoods, existing park activities, access to public transport, and several other matters.

3. Who is designing the skate plaza and what is proposed to be installed?

Jason Parkes (Premium Skate Designs) has designed the skate plaza, and we have had initial input from Ben Harris, a local skateboarder.

Like all projects this one has a budget that limits the size and design of the park we can build. It has been primarily designed for skateboarding due to budget constraints; however there are components that can be used by in-line bladers and BMXers.

Experience has shown that these users co-exist without conflict.

4. Who will manage the skate park?

The skate park is located along the busy St Aubyn Street frontage, where passive supervision can be provided by the general public. Parks staff will also provide regular surveillance and it is anticipated that parents of skateboard users and other park users will also play a role in monitoring use.

There is the potential that we could make use of adult, parent and high school youth volunteers to assist in the monitoring of the new Skate Park.

Duties could include monitoring and supervising the Skate Park, making users aware of the rules of the park, assisting the users in keeping the park clean, and other general assistance with the skaters and boarders.

In addition, there is the potential for small kiosks to be located on the site, selling food and drinks, or even hiring equipment, which would also provide daily surveillance of the site.

5. What is the cost?

Typically skate plazas cost approximately $400/m2.

6. What is the profile of a typical skater who will use the facility?

Overseas statistics show the average age is 13 years and approximately 80% are boys. They are typically passionate about their sport and focus on self-improvement and learning and mastering 'tricks.'

They encourage and compliment each other's skills. Skateparks have the potential of youth development centers.

A park supervised by trained staff opens up all sorts of opportunities for sports training programs and special events.

At the heart of the project is the goal of providing a younger generation the opportunity to be kids. The skatepark is seen as a perfect place for teens and preteens to release energy and stay fit.

Through skating, children can develop character and learn how to be successful by challenging themselves.

7. What amenities will be provided?

One of the criteria for a suitable site was its proximity to amenities such as toilets. The park will include a toilet, along with shelter and drinking fountains.

8. What are the crime statistics in neighborhoods where other skate parks are located?

Reports from other towns and cities in New Zealand with skate plazas that have been located in prominent locations with high natural surveillance and lighting, have reported no increase in crime and anti-social activity associated with the skate parks.

9. Would the skate park be gated and closed at a certain time?

In order to integrate with the rest of the park, it is not intended to fence the skate plaza. However the proposed design includes low walls that double as seats to create a protective buffer between the traffic and the park. Skate park hours will be controlled via the lights.

10. What about litter?

It's true that skateparks can sometimes become messy. The average age of skateboarders is 13, and picking up after oneself is not generally a high priority.

We understand that extra measures must be taken to ensure that the skatepark is as tidy as possible by installing plenty of rubbish bins, a water fountain, (so that plastic bottles don't need to be brought to the park), and a volunteer plan that will have the skaters themselves working with Council to keep it clean and tidy.

Skaters want a clean place to skate as much as anyone and we're committed to ensuring it stays looking as nice as possible

11. What about noise?

Skate parks aren't any noisier than other light public park activity. In fact, skateparks emit less sound than most other park activities.

Several skatepark sound studies have been conducted overseas. The most recent was done by Portland, Oregon's Parks and Recreation Department in the US and found that their 1,000m2 skatepark emitted less constant noise than light automobile traffic.