Stakeholders Response They saw the need to provide youth support for attaining their driver’s licence including literacy support with the written test/s, assistance with log book hours and general leaner driver program support. More instructors/examiners and rural driving lessons were also identified as needs. 4.4 Parking, Paths and Roads Youth Response • There was not enough car parking in particular near grocery stores. This also applied to moped parking and bike racks although this was across the whole of the town area. • Young people wanted to see more bike paths to keep bikes off the road and foot paths in particular locations such as across railroad at end opposite Coolgardie St. • They also wanted more access trails to beach locations (both bike and vehicles) and off road tracks for mountain bikes. • A number of out of town roads and access roads required improvements. Stakeholders Response Suggestions included better access to natural environments with aim to also minimise the vehicle vandalism to these places and to improve the safety of youth by providing more cut through walk/ cycle paths to avoid the roads.
5. Public Spaces, Buildings and Natural Environment 5.1 Public Spaces and Places Youth Response • Young people wanted to see more public spaces in their community in particular with features that appealed to youth including a dog park, mountain bike track at park, shaded hangout areas, outdoor gym equipment for higher level users and interactive and/or large scale puzzles/activities. • They also stated that public spaces that already existed needed to be better maintained including equipment/playgrounds and improved lighting for security reasons. • A number of places were not deemed safe or had security concerns for young people. They suggested that additional or brighter lighting would improve this and specific areas noted included the Skate Park, and Shopping areas as well as some streets. • Young people also identified the need to charge their phones when out and about in the community and providing access to phone chargers was a potential solution, as was a solar powered phone. Stakeholder Response To support communication/contact provide outdoor phone docking ‘stations’ at picnic sites and other locations that young people frequent so they can charge their phones when flat. Locked up sporting facilities located out of town could also be improved and made accessible with better lighting. 5.2 Skate Park The Skate Park was identified as the only ‘youth specific designated hangout’ and the consensus from young people was that it required significant upgrades/improvements. Youth Response • Size of the skate park had been an issue causing accidents resulting in injury and bullying behaviour due to sharing limited space. • Many young people wanted to see a new location for the skate park that was a well trafficked public area to improve safety and deter anti-social behaviours (including drugs and alcohol). Some young people stated that they did not feel safe at the Skate Park in its current location.
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