MEDIA RELEASE - Local skating stars bowled over at new facilities on offer at Seymour Shaw Active Precinct
Hordes of local skaters have taken the opportunity to ‘drop-in’ on Sydney’s newest skating facilities today, following the official opening of the Seymour Shaw Active Precinct in Miranda.
Sutherland Shire Mayor, Councillor Carmelo Pesce was joined by NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Public Spaces Stephen Bali, Council staff and contractors who had been instrumental in the delivery of the project as well as dozens of local community members keen to be among the first to use the latest addition to the impressive array of sports infrastructure available throughout the Sutherland Shire.
With today’s opening having been keenly anticipated by the local skating community, as well as skaters further afield across wider metropolitan Sydney, there were also plenty of budding board riders through to Olympic hopefuls on hand to test out the new facilities on offer.
While the completed active precinct project delivers a diverse range of facilities to cater to all tastes and abilities, including a half basketball court, parkour and climbing elements, new children’s playground and a world-class skate ‘plaza’ course, it’s the addition of two new skate bowls that drew the most attention from those in attendance.
A new vertical skate bowl which plunges to a dizzying depth of 3.8m – among the deepest skate bowls found anywhere in metropolitan Sydney – delivers local skaters Olympic grade facilities and paves the way for the Sutherland Shire to host elite level competitive skating events.
Sutherland Shire Mayor, Councillor Carmelo Pesce expressed his delight to finally be able to welcome local residents to enjoy the new facilities, saying they would put the Sutherland Shire on the map for skaters across Sydney.
“Seymour Shaw Active Precinct has always catered to a diverse range of sporting interests, but the addition of a new skate plaza and one of the best skate bowls anywhere in Sydney among the many other amazing sports facilities here, there is now on offer than ever before to cater to our community,” Mayor Pesce said.
“This project has come about through extensive consultation with a diverse range of sports groups and key stakeholders, guiding Council in the delivery of some incredible active sports infrastructure which will serve our community well for generations to come.
“Importantly, the mix of recreational facilities will encourage the younger generation to get outdoors and stay active. The Seymour Shaw Active Precinct truly has something for the entire family. Beyond the everyday fun, the skating elements of this precinct will create a skating mecca and potentially open-up opportunities for competitive events.”
The completion of active precinct project delivers the first stage of a massive overhaul of one of the Sutherland Shire’s most loved and best used sports reserves, marking stage one of the planned three stage Seymour Shaw Park Masterplan redevelopment.
The first stage of the project was made possible through a $4.75 million investment from the NSW Government through their $250m NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program, and $370,000 contribution from Sutherland Shire Council, with subsequent stages to deliver further improvements to cater to a wide array of outdoors sports groups and enthusiasts, including improved facilities for football, cricket, netball and tennis, offering abundant opportunities for all members of the community to stay active.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the NSW Government-funded upgrade will deliver a range of exciting sporting infrastructure for skaters young and old.
“The NSW Government is committed to working with Councils to provide high-quality public open spaces. This upgrade will be a tremendous asset to the Miranda community for generations to come,” Mr Scully said.
Attending the event, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Public Spaces Stephen Bali said the new upgrades have something for everyone with skating, children’s playground areas and new basketball courts on the way.
Member for Miranda, Eleni Petinos, said she was proud of her role in advocating for state government funding for the project, saying the active precinct added an extra dimension to the already well utilised Seymour Shaw Park.
“I am thrilled to open the Seymour Shaw Youth Precinct which was delivered thanks to $4.75 million in funding from the former Liberal Government. This precinct will put Miranda on the map as a leading sporting hub in the Shire,” Ms Petinos said.
“We are an active community in the Sutherland Shire and these new facilities provide more opportunities for our youth to get out and enjoy chosen sports and active recreation. Seymour Shaw Park has always been a centre for football, netball, tennis and cricket and we have now expanded that offering to the basketball, skating, and parkour groups in our community.”
I look forward to seeing work commence on Stage two of the Seymour Shaw Masterplan following the former Liberal Government’s $2.99 million announcement earlier this year”.
Subsequent stages planned under the Seymour Shaw Masterplan project include the re-levelling of soccer, netball and cricket fields, toilet upgrades, a new multi-purpose building in place of the existing netball control room, bleacher seating, improved car parking and the relocation of the existing cricket nets.
Stage three of the project will see the renewal of the existing tennis courts. Once complete, Seymour Shaw Active Precinct will become a leading outdoor recreational destination in Sutherland Shire.