Mayor Peter Besseling’s failure to back the youth of Port Macquarie by supporting the installation of lighting at the town’s skate park is an “embarrassing disgrace” according to a local radio broadcaster.
However Cr Besseling has fought back such claims, citing them as part of a “smear campaign” and unjustified.
Tim Bishop, host of 2WAYFM’s Time to Talk Show, said, “This is the first opportunity Mr Besseling has had to prove himself as a progressive leader at a local level and some of the first public words he utters are ‘the youth are not my priority.
“We have more than a thousand young people actually engaging in democracy at a local level, crying out for lights and signing petitions. Yet their Mayor, a man who is supposed to represent their views the most, hasn’t even offered to sit with them to hear what they have to say.
“says lights will attract anti-social behavior yet my research of other lit skate parks across the country suggests lighting is highly successful.
“Lighting during weekend evenings and school holidays has given young people a sense of community ownership at skate parks in Queensland and Sydney.
“Where are the studies, the data or the surveys that Mr Besseling is basing his opinion on? The fact is, his claims that lighting will bring doom and gloom are based on absolutely no evidence.
Cr Besseling said Council has limited access to funding and despite this fact, was successful in obtaining almost $300,000 in Federal funding and matched that with $400,000 of local ratepayers money, to build a state of the art skate park in Port Macquarie.
He said it was unfortunate that some in the community who use the facility see this as an embarrassing failure and that it somehow indicates that the youth of Port Macquarie are not a Council priority.
“This $700,000 investment clearly indicates Council’s support for the great many committed young people who were involved in bringing the facility to fruition, along with many locals and visitors who enjoy the venue,” he said.
“For anyone to demand that council light the skate park as a priority, must consider the funding priorities of people right across the local government area, including communities such as Lake Cathie who have no skate park, along with the competing interests of our local roads, footpaths, parks and beaches.
“Council’s priorities for further development of the Town Beach Skate Park as a multi-purpose community space are for the provision of shade shelters, picnic facilities, permanent toilet facilities, a kiosk, the installation of fixed exercise equipment and improving access by reviewing footpaths and parking in the area.
“The provision of lighting in this area is not considered appropriate as a crime prevention strategy. Lighting the area would create a perception that it is a space Council wishes to attract people to after dark, and this is not the case.
“The provision of temporary lighting, however, for a specific skate park-based public event, would be supported by Council.
“While I have encouraged Mr Bishop and skatepark users to discuss this issue directly with Council and not through a media smear campaign, I remind all ratepayers that everyone has an opportunity to put forward their thoughts on priority projects for council via the consultation process currently underway www.pmhclistening.com.au/hastingshorizons”
