A 30-year battle over a Coromandel skate park between locals and bach owners that involved “dirty tricks”, “bribery” and accusations of nimbyism has reached its conclusion in court.

The community and waterfront property owners have been pitted against each other over a skate park in Tairua’s Cory Park Domain, near the estuary.

A High Court judge last week dismissed the request for a judicial review, mounted by Preserve Cory Park Domain Inc.

This group, many of whom were from Auckland, oppose the park for its proximity to houses, potential noise, anti-social behaviour and sanitary fears about toileting.

It was a last-ditch bid to stop the skate park to block the project, with legal wrangling meaning costs have blown up to more than $1 million.

Local children and their parents have been at court fighting for their “right to shred”.

The opposing group is accused of “pure nimbyism” by Tairua Sports and Recreation Trust Jacqui Gage-Brown, who says the majority of the wealthy bach owners do not live in town.

Stuff revealed in June how an Auckland rugby club encouraged members to stack a community survey with opposition to the park to help out a benefactor with a holiday home in Tairua who opposes the facility.

“There are potentially some additional sponsorship dollars in it for the club,” said an email to all members.

Meanwhile, opponents claimed they’ve been subjected to threats.

High Court Judge Powell now has put an end to the matter with his decision, giving council the opportunity to seek costs.

The community is “ecstatic” over the ruling, says Gage-Brown.

“We are ecstatic and fair to say, so is the Tairua community. This is a long anticipated project that will finally come to fruition. The perseverance and effort to get this across the line with the reward being a skate park for our community. Just epic!”

Jim Jackson, spokesperson for the Preserve Cory Park Domain group, says, “We respect the judge's decision."

Thames Coromandel mayor, Len Salt, welcomes the news that Justice Powell has dismissed claims that the process that council had followed was flawed.

“This process has validated the process and decision-making to site a skate park on Cory Park Domain, and we look forward to construction commencing when arrangements are finalised.”

-Annemarie Quill/Stuff.