WAKOOL Shire Council has accepted a late request to commit as much as $50,000 in its draft annual budget to the redevelopment of a skate park in Barham.
Councillors met last week to agree upon the draft budget for the 2015/16 financial year, with the only amendment being to approve a “late” application from a Barham youth group to upgrade the town’s skate bowl, located at Barham Recreation Reserve.
The shire received the application letter from three representatives of the youth group in April, as it was finalising the details of the draft budget.
They proposed to expand the current site in two stages of development over the next two years, at an estimated cost of $80,000 to $100,000 — they were asking council to provide half the funding so they could ask the State Government to match it dollar for dollar.
The application included possible design plans for the upgrade (alongside examples of other skate parks in the region), ideas for funding and timing schedules and a letter of endorsement from local MP Adrian Piccoli.
Wakool Shire Mayor Neil Gorey said the councillors thought the application was well deserving of the approval.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (May 25).
