The skate park facilities in Taipari Park in Thames are now being removed. Large trucks have shown up on site, and the area has been cordoned off with fencing.
The skate park was built on a sacred burial ground or urupā, where the remains of Ngāti Maru ancestors are buried. The Thames Coromandel District Council announced their intention earlier this year to remove the park and return the land to local iwi.
A new skate park, PowerCo Skate Park, was erected in Porritt Park beside Goldfields mall to replace the Taipari Park facilities.
“The return of Taipari Park is a first step in returning the sacred site to Ngāti Maru,” the council said.
Work is also underway to identify a replacement site for Centennial Pool.
