Currently, council has allocated $55,000 to allow for the design and construction of an extension to the park adjacent to the Cooke Hockey Complex in Kelso. 

The skate park opened in February 2006 and was built to include elements such as bowls, flat banks, ledges, handrails, spines, manual pads and copings.

Deputy mayor Bobby Bourke was the councillor to push for funding for the skate park in the budget, feeling the facility was in need of an upgrade. 

“It’s long overdue for rejuvenation,” he said.

“The kids come over to the [Bathurst Community Op Shop] and say they’d like to see things better than that.” 

He said they were after more elements, particularly some suited to younger children, and perhaps some electrical outlets so they could listen to music while they used the park.

“It’s what the kids like to do, to listen to music while they skate,” he said.

“There is a bit of land still available there to do some new jumps and things.

“It’s been there for years now and there has been no major upgrade there except for a few trees, which I pushed for, and they’ve grown now and give them some shade there.” 

The skate park has proved a popular destination for young people in Bathurst.

Cr Bourke said he regularly sees teenagers using the park for their enjoyment and people stopping in to use the barbecue area near it as well. 

With the location of the park being a good distance away from busy roads, it gives children a safe place where there is something for them to do and help close by if they need it. 

“It is a bit of a safe area and a lot of the kids that have grown up there over the last 12 years know that if it is raining or there is an incident they can come over to the shop,” Cr Bourke said. 

He hopes that council can continue to invest in infrastructure, such as the skate park, for Bathurst’s young people. 

The draft budget will be on public exhibition and is expected to go before council again at its June ordinary meeting, where councillors can vote to adopt it.