An innovative partnership between Alice Springs Town Council, the Northern Territory Government and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) has resulted in a new skate park for Alice Springs. Each organisation provided $65,000 for the facility that was officially opened on 1 July.
The idea for a skate park was first raised by young people involved with the YMCA. The skate park has been designed by a group of local skaters following a weekend workshop organised by the YMCA’s Extreme Sports Youth Advisory Committee.
The Skaters discussed their ideas with directors of the company contracted to build the facility who were on hand to provide expert advice.
“The youth of Alice Springs want quality opportunities and services supporting their choices as young adults,” said Deputy Mayor Michael Jones. “The new skate park, built next to the swimming centre, is a project driven by Alice Springs youth wanting to create another social and recreational outlet.”
Skate champions were invited to Alice Springs to work with local skaters on developing protocols for the safe use of the new facility.
Although a remote region, involving sports stars as role models and mentors is not new in Alice Springs. Some of Australia’s best athletes were in Alice Springs earlier in the year in a joint Council and NT Safe project – Athletes as Role Models.
Role models such as ariel freestyle skier, Jacqui Cooper; and NBL Perth Wildcats basketball player, Ricky Grace; were on hand to encourage local youth to choose healthy lifestyles by rejecting drugs and making wise decisions about peer pressure, alcohol usage and petrol sniffing.
Local youth considered leaders among their own peer groups were selected to meet with the sporting celebrities.
The aim was they would pass on what they learned from the athletes to their peers, thus becoming positive role models themselves.
