A new skate park opening at Wonga Beach on the weekend will get local kids active and feature demonstrations by the Port Douglas Bike Hire freestyle crew in addition to raising community bushfire awareness.

Douglas Shire Council Mayor Julia Leu will host a ‘family fun day’ to officially open the Wonga Beach BMX and Skate Park at Bell’s Park in Marlin Drive from midday to 2pm on Saturday.

The day will include free face painting for the kids, as well as a fundraiser barbecue for the Wonga Beach State School, a demo by the Port Douglas Bike Hire freestyle crew and prizes for skaters, BMX and scooter riders of all ages.

It will also be an opportunity for kids to meet “Bushie” the Bushfire Wallaby for the first time, the new mascot for the Wonga Rural Fire Brigade which is staging a sign-on at the family fun day to encourage local residents from Rocky Point to South Arm to help them protect the community.

The Wonga volunteer firies will have heaps of giveaways for the kids and will be joined by the Little Squirt fire engine for free rides around the park as well as the Wonga fire truck and an urban rescue fire truck on display.

Mayor Leu said the $130,000 BMX and skate park is a community-driven project aimed at providing activities for youths in Wonga Beach, with local builder Kenmac Constructions delivering a state-of-the-art recreation zone.

“It’s great to see such as fantastic facility, as good as any you would find in a big city, created for young people in Wonga Beach,” Mayor Leu said.

“The Wonga Beach BMX and Skate Park concept was conceived by the Wonga Beach community to provide something to do for the kids and I’m very proud we’ve been able to deliver for them.”