A "runty old" skateboard park in Mosgiel may be replaced as part of the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board’s recreation area management plan.
Board chairman Andrew Simms said feedback for the plan showed about 70% of respondents were in favour of a new skatepark being located in the Memorial Park playground.
"A lot of families are telling me that they would like the skate facility to be within that playground because that allows them to participate in other activities on the playground as well.
"It becomes a hub."
It was important to provide a good facility that skateboarders would want to look after, Mr Simms said.
"The experience that both the Dunedin City Council have had and the other councils have had is that if you build a good skate facility, it tends to get self-policed and looked after by the skaters.
"If you give them a runty old thing like we had — it was 30 years old and falling to bits down in the back corner of the park — then yes, it’s going to get tagged and it’s not what you want.
Mr Simms said he was dealing with some slightly outdated views.
"I think some of the push to not have it in the playground is based on some outdated beliefs that skaters are antisocial.
"But my experience is that skateboarding is now a family activity as well as a youth activity and the antisocial element is no more represented with skateboarding than it is with anything else."
Professional scooter rider Cory Griffiths agreed skateparks were a great social environment for young people and taught many life skills.
"It’s an individual sport that people can do together and make friends like we all did at the skatepark years ago.
"Actual skateboarders who love it, learn self-discipline through doing it."
