The existing drawings for extending the skatepark in Speed Street are only a “mudmap”, says the Town Council’s Director of Technical Services, Greg Buxton.
Asked by councillors to review his costing for that “basic concept”, he has gone to the skatepark specialists CONVIC Constructions and asked them to “estimate a price for our two options”. At this stage he says CONVIC have not been asked to do any design work.
Alice Springs News Online put to Mr Buxton the feedback reported here that the existing drawings are flawed from a skating point of view, with some features being simply unskateable. We have quoted Matty Day but have also spoken since to a number of local skaters who are of the same view. Does he give credence to that?
He says the drawings are a “first run-past” based on “our interpretation” of what users of the facility had to say during council’s consultation with them.
“This is by no means a final drawing,” he says.
So “shovel-ready” does not mean all set to go, pending funding?
Apparently not. It means this is “the basic concept subject to funding”. He says once funding has been sourced, council would proceed to detailed design and would then go back to users for feedback.
But how useful is it to get costing of an unworkable design? Why not get CONVIC to quote on something workable? Mr Buxton says he would not spend $20,000 on getting in an interstate consultant when council is not ready to proceed with the work.
He would not give an exact figure for the “mudmap” drawn up by a local architectural firm but said it was under $5000.
Pictured: What’s possible: The skatepark at the small inland town of Collie in WA, built by CONVIC, a 732 sqm facility billed as “creating a central social and recreational hub for the community”.
– Kieran Finnane