Ararat Skate Park Improvement Committee president Shane Allgood said the redevelopment project received news on Tuesday this week that the council would allocate $300,000 to the project.

Mr Allgood said this was in addition to the fundraising the committee had been undertaking,

“We got a notification that we were most likely receiving funding and that was confirmed this morning,” Mr Allgood said.  

“Our target is $430,000 odd. We’re pushing now toward $165,000 (in funds raised).”

Mr Allgood said the committee had put on two fundraising events recently for the project. One was a sausage sizzle which raised $1000. A cake stall for Mother’s Day raised about $2000. 

Ararat Rural City councillor David Pettman said he was “delighted and very happy” about the grant approval and congratulated the work the skate park committee had done in support of the project. 

“The youth are going to be happy. It will be a real showpiece for Ararat,” Cr Pettman said. 

Ararat Rural City mayor Paul Hooper said the first stage of the park redevelopment had been subject to grants, for which an application was currently in place.

The council has since resolved to provide the funds regardless of the outcome of the grant application. 

“We think we’ll get the grant but we’ve committed to spend $300,000 regardless,” Cr Hooper said. 

Cr Hooper said work will begin sometime in the next financial year. 

“The central element to stage one is a bowl,” he said.

“As I understand it, there is a little bit of work involved but I don’t imagine it will be a long construction.”

In addition to the concrete bowl, some of the other features of the redevelopment will involve increasing the surface area of the park. A drinking fountain and shade cover will also be added.