Douglas Shire Council is declaring the new Wonga Beach skate park a blank canvas for local artists in a bid to redirect graffiti vandalism into a constructive force for the community. 

Council is calling for experienced aerosol artists to conduct a series of workshops with local kids to design and paint public art on the skateparks in Wonga Beach, Port Douglas and Mossman. 

The idea is to ‘build ownership’ of the parks by the area’s youth and redirect anti-social behaviour into a positive community action. 

Local kids will design images and be guided in creating them on the skatepark’s bare concrete surfaces by the artist selected for the project, with an overarching theme of expressing what their local community means to them.

Both Mossman  and Port Douglas police are behind the idea, with Sergeant Matthew Smith from Mossman Police Station saying he has seen a noticeable decline in youth crime in the areas where skate parks and street art projects are set up.

Council anticipates that the project will take three all-weekend sessions for each park and are hoping to find an artist to complete the Wonga Beach park by the end of 2014.

Funding and support for the project is being supplied by Suncorp Insurance and Charities Aid Foundation along with the Mossman Youth Centre.

Mayor Julia Leu said the project would be an effective method to engage the community’s youth.

“It is fabulous that so soon after completing the Wonga Beach Skate park, officers have been able to secure funding to implement the Skate Park Street Art Program,” Cr Leu said.

“Involving the mossman youth centre and the young people that use the parks is a wonderful opportunity to recognise the artistic talents of our youth and also create that sense of ownership and pride.”