Wollongong staff doubted approved MacCabe Park skate park
Internal council emails show staff managers preferred another site and cited anti-social behaviour concerns.
Wollongong City Council approved MacCabe Park for a skate park, but internal emails show some council managers had serious doubts. A council manager said JJ Kelly Park was at least an equal location.
The manager called MacCabe Park 'one of our worst sites for anti-social behaviour and vandalism.' He predicted the skate park would be 'a magnet for broken glass and conflicts.'
Staff also worried the park would lose its character as Wollongong's premier green space. Other managers flagged a bigger risk.
The skate park was going ahead before a master plan for the site was finished. One senior staff member warned this created a risk of unplanned development.
This could harm the park's future potential. The Friends of MacCabe Park formed to oppose the location.
The group has now asked council to reconsider.
- October and December 2025
- Approval votes
- JJ Kelly Park
- Alternative site
- Friends of MacCabe Park
- Opposition group
Why it mattersThis raises a question about whether councillors knew about staff concerns. The council voted to approve the plan in October and December 2025.
AustraliaThe Wollongong skate park will open at MacCabe Park unless council reverses the decision, despite the concerns documented in staff emails.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 d ago
