Ngaruawahia skatepark revamp excites local skaters
The Ngaruawahia skatepark is destined for big changes with its upgrade now underway.
Construction started on an upgrade of Ngaruawahia Skate Park last week and skaters are buzzing about it.
The Waikato District Council and the Ngaruawahia Skate Park project group have been working together on an upgrade that includes extensions to the park, on Broadway Street.
Photo: Lisa McGee
Seth Tobin, a keen skater who grew up in Ngaruawahia, is looking forward to the change. “The upgrade is a sick idea. I still use the park whenever I’m in Ngaruawahia and always recommend it.”
The revamp is a part of a partnership between the community and the council to improve Ngaruawahia facilities, and has a proposed cost of $161,000.
Auckland based company Premium Skate Park Design created the park’s design. They upgraded the skate park in Raglan a few years ago, along with others around New Zealand.
“They got this guy, Jason Parkes, to design it and he has the right idea for skaters,” Tobin said.
The upgrade will include a large extension to the park with a snake run and mini ramp as two main parts.
Corey Mclaren, a regular user of the skate park, said: “There’s only a few young locals and even they’ve sort of turned away from skateboarding, so the skate park is really just another playground for the kids at the moment.”
“Once it’s done I can see a culture for skateboarding in Ngaruawahia.”
Seating will be scattered on the outer of the park as well as two garden beds planted inside the park.
Image: Waikato District Council
Erin Rangi-Watt, Waikato District Council spokesperson, said the council is committed to creating pride in the community’s facilities including those for youth.
With the newest section of Waikato Expressway now bypassing Ngaruawahia, there is planning to transform the small town into a destination rather than just a drive through.
“Competitions would be a good way to promote the park in Ngaruawahia ’cause it kind of gets missed being in such a small town,” said Tobin.
The park is due for completion in May. The Waikato District Council will work with the community on how to celebrate its reopening.
