Gladstone Regional Council's 2019 annual playground inspection of the Cassy Lives Skate Park indicated that the park was due for relevant upgrades. Therefore, last year Council consulted the community regarding their needs and priorities leading into the design.

In July/ August 2020 Council asked the community to choose their preferred design option. The most popular design was option two.

Construction was completed in 2021, and the skate park is open for community to enjoy.

All three design options are fully accessible and take into account the Skate Park user needs. Slide across to view the current and proposed designs, then vote on which you prefer below.

Create an account, or log in to vote on your preferred option.

This skate park is named after Cassy Jones who passed away from melanoma skin cancer at age 14 in 1990. Prior to the first stage of consultation, Cassy’s mother and brother were consulted regarding the legacy of Cassy, what information they would like shared with the community, and if they had an expectation regarding the upgrade. The family were happy for us to share Cassy’s story and pleased to see the skate park was getting an upgrade but didn’t have any particular expectations about what should be included.

On 1 August 1990, 14-year-old Gladstone teenager, Cassy Jones lost her battle with melanoma skin cancer.

Cassy was a vivacious, quintessential Australian with a playful sense of humour and a big heart who loved her family and friends dearly.

In her last few months, Cassy Jones set out to increase awareness of skin cancer by starting a campaign with the Queensland Cancer Fund which resulted in several people writing to her and her family saying that they were able to have melanomas and skin cancers removed because her message was so strong. Cassy also developed and raised money for her research fund, Cassy's Wish, which supported melanoma research and the Charles Wanstall Lodge in Herston, Brisbane. The lodge provides accommodation for cancer patients and their families who must travel to Brisbane for treatment, Cassy's fund allowed the lodge to build an extra unit.

Gladstone City Council, now Gladstone Regional Council, supported Cassy by naming a local park near Briffney Creek in her honour, naming it the Cassy Lives Park. In 1996, within the park, Council constructed a skate park, which is still fondly known as the Cassy Lives Skate Park.

"Cassy believed she was put on this earth for a reason and that she was being "called upstairs", as she put it, because her job was done. Cassy spread the word Australia wide about skin cancer and she has taught us to accept death and go out gracefully. She was, and still is, a much-loved daughter, sister, granddaughter, neice and friend to us all." - Frances Jones (Cassy's mother)

Council hosted community consultation from October to November 2019 with schools, skate park users and residents who lived in proximity of the Cassy Lives Skate Park to understand their needs and priorities before completing proposing design changes to the park.

Almost 70 respondents took part in the survey. Respondents outline the surface of the Skate Park should be better and when questioned about a preference between asphalt and concrete, most preferred concrete.

Among new equipment priorities users outline the preference for:

1. Rails & Empty pool area (bowl) - tied as the first preference

3. A bigger box jump

4. Boxes and ramps

Respondents also outlined social security - visibility from road and lighting - was a great concern, followed by the lack of variety and small size of the skate park.