“We postponed the decision in order to have some professional skate park designers and assessors have a look at the possible sites to ensure that we come up with best outcome for skaters and the community,” Cr Leith Crowley said.

“We think it’s a really good thing to do to get someone from the outside to have a look at it, and it’s an opportunity to make sure we get it as right as we can.”

He hoped the professional skate park designers would be able to have a forum with local youth, and that the process would happen quickly.

Safety issues at the existing skate park, in the old basketball courts at Mitchell Park, were recently brought to councillors’ attention by local teenagers.

They organised a petition and worked with Cr Crowley to bring the project forward.

Councillors had previously resol-ved meeting to seek public comment on a proposal for the skate park to go ahead on the corner of Victory Lane and South Western Highway.

Council received two submissions raising concerns about the location.

One said a skate park at the site would reduce space for tourist and event visitor car parking.

There were also safety concerns as to whether having the facility so close to the CBD would encourage skateboarders to use the main street.

The submissions suggested alternative sites for the skate park, including within the old goods shed area, Egan Park after the netball courts have been relocated, north of the netball courts, the old caravan park site on South Western Highway, or a section of the BMX track site that fronts Marmion Street.

The Egan Park site was recommended in a Sports Precinct report to council earlier this year, because it provided distance from housing, toilet facilities, proximity to shops and possible visual surveillance from South Western Highway, dependent on some tree removal.

According to the council meeting agenda, the proposed site on the Victory Lane and South Western Highway intersection, does not allow for a very large skate park to be built.

It would not be big enough to cater for skate boarders, roller bladers, scooters and BMX riders.