throwaway society!! How can you throw away a Bowl ???
Published 10 months, 1 week ago in My life.HOw easy is it nowadays to throw things away when it is past its useby date, or when you no longer have a need for something. Well, My local coucil wants to throw away thousands of dollars worth of money, but trashing our lewis park skate bowl !! They have made another, away over in knoxfield, with little to entice the new skater or learner. Our “old ” bowl has history. It has benefited and made seasoned skaters out of many many local kids as well as those whove travelled to it. It has a community. There is a community of skaters who’ve learnt and loved the art through countless thousands of hours of practice there. They have Held wakes there and honored ” Bowl” friends who have passed on. They have made countless friends and mentored new riders and skaters who come there with the same purpose, this community has a passion.
They have been at the mercy of council decisions to what their welfare is. Thousands of dollars spent on a vert ramp ! Installed at Rowville instead of the bowl. Residents didn’t want it, Bowl particpants begging for it. Transported to the council yards where it rusted for a year or two. Still the residents begged for it. Thousands of dollars supposedly to transport it, and finally the Knox bowl scored it as theirs !!! Knox city has a revamp and amp offer to spend money on installing a new skate park. two years of ” talks” and plans. Skaters and bikeriders were tentavly asked for input- jollied along. But for some reason, this park at the back of knox city didn’t go ahead, instead its been installed at knoxfield.
But back at lewis park, the skaters and bike riders continue to sweep the bowl out of the debris that blows in from nearby shady gums. They continue to enjoy the comaradie they have always had with others using the park. Mums and dads still bring their littlies down to test out new scooters and bikes on the gentle learning slopes.
And word is, that council says it costs too much to maintain. So at a cost far in excess of what it will cost to do minimal maintenance, they will trash this little oasis of our locals who are so passionate about what they do best.
In my opinion, shame on Knox council !! Youve failed your community . This isn’t a case of improvement, its a case of sheer waste. And I appallingly, pay rates for your folly.
7 Responses to “throwaway society!! How can you throw away a Bowl ???”
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It would seem all councils are the same, all run by would be politicians and greenies who haven’t a clue about living in the real world!
May I suggest you start lobbying your Councillors now before their next election and make them understand how important this issue is to you. Councillors get busy and they sometimes don’t hear the quiet achievers within their community.
Have your State representative activate on your behalf. It certainly worked in Glen Eira for the “saving the Pool” which went from a simple renovation to a full on 33 million dollar deal!
Attending Council Meetings en masse usually gets their attention about important community issues.
Contact the Sun Herald if need be and point out the wastage and the lack of stimulation for the kids without the ramp…It worked a treat in Glen Eira with the kids in the park fiasco….
Good luck
Thanks Mary, we did go en masse to the council meeting last night. What a crock !!!
They have already made their decision.
Having never been to a council meeting before, I am now convinced more than ever that it is for a pompus few who like having their egos polished.
They would not accept the online petition even when it numbered over the thousand mark…..no acceptable.
question time was stripped. They had to choose which question to ask and only allowed one question each. One didnt’ even get to ask , they said they would give him a written answer.
It is ridiculouse when they spend thousands and little corner reserves and tired old cricked pitches, but for the thousands of kids in knox, they are to have the one skatepark. They are not looking to 2030 at all, for one skatepark catering to a certain ability, just doesn’t cut it in Knox.
Could whoever wrote this piece please contact me
saveknoxbowl1@yahoo.com
more info on the cause:
www.myspace.com/saveknoxbowl
Hey save Knox ! I gather you had a second family day, and comments I read on myspace sounded positive. I’m crossing my fingers, this is resolved, and the bowl is saved.
Follow up on the councils decision……..We get to keep the bowl for an extra two years.
Well done to the hard work of some and the well organised bowl community, who treated councillors with respect and decorum at all times, they deserved to keep it.