The barrier has been a talking point since council was forced to erect it after a couple of nearby residents initiated legal action over anti-social behaviour at the park.

The skaters felt aggrieved as the people causing the drama were not skaters, but intruders.

Council also felt ‘put out’ - saying it had little option to do anything other than fence the park, or else, risk further litigation and the possible loss of the facility altogether.

The upshot was a wire fence, with outward leaning bars at the top tethered with strands of barbed wire.

There are various takes on the fence: the local youth organisation claims it can no longer hold promotions at the venue as the barrier is too close to the ramps and presents a safety hazard; others have pointed out the divider is not to keep skaters ‘in’, but to keep people up to no good ‘out’ of a night time.

There have even been cries that the fence is a ‘cage’ and that the Nambucca Skate Park is akin to a correctional facility. These emotive claims have if anything hampered any mediation.

But on Thursday, at an onsite meeting between shire councillors, staff and local skaters, a fresh dawn presented.

Mayor Rhonda Hoban said now that ‘the heat’ had lifted from the debate, council hoped to talk with the residents to see if the situation could be re-examined.

The skaters appreciated that while the fence was not a desire of council, they felt frustrated and persecuted.

Chris Hewgill from the Nambucca Youthie said other skate parks around the country were worried the decision could form a precedent and lead to other facilities being enclosed, while a resident questioned whether skaters were being unfairly targetted compared to other sporting activities in the precinct: “The crack of a skatey is no louder than the crack of a cricket ball on a bat,” she said.

Cr Hoban was sympathetic, but countered suggestions that video - filmed by a resident - of anti-social behaviour at the park after hours was not serious.

Having seen the footage, the mayor said it depicted “significant criminal behaviour”.

Cr Hoban conceded council too - which had built the park together with the community - had played a part in the circumstances which led to the current situation. Specifically, a ‘code of conduct’ surrounding use of the park had proved a double-edged sword, while the shire had failed to issue a construction certificate for the complex.

Yet still there is hope.

One of the residents who had iniated the action, contacted council to commend the behaviour of skaters at the latest ‘Big Air’ promotion.

It is with that spirit, that councillors voted last week to approach the residents to see if there’s scope to find a solution that will at least in part, make all the stakeholders a little happier.