By Bonny Burrows
Children and carers alike are set to reap the benefits of $900,000 in Cardinia Shire playground upgrades.
Following the recent upgrades to Garfield Recreation Reserve, O’Neil Road oval and Don Jackson Reserve, Cardinia Shire Council is working on having new playgrounds completed at Lakeside Park Pakenham, Alma Treloar Reserve in Cockatoo and Pakenham’s PB Ronald Reserve completed this summer.
Garfield Recreation Reserve’s upgrade was completed in June and included the installation of two new playspaces and three picnic settings.
The O’Neil Road Oval’s August revamp included the addition of a flying fox, trampoline basket swing and a basketball ring.
Thanks to completed works, Don Jackson Reserve now hosts a larger playground with fitness equipment.
The council’s open space co-ordinator, Kevin Alexander, said additional work including seating, paths and landscaping will also be funded by council once the play equipment is installed.
“These upgrades add to the new neighbourhood playgrounds council constructed this year at Melissa Way Reserve in Pakenham and Cardinia Recreation Reserve in Cardinia at an investment of $50,000 each,” Mr Alexander said.
The design of each of the new play spaces was directly informed by the feedback received from the local community.
Mr Alexander said the council worked with thousands of residents across the shire to determine the outcomes for the playground renewal program this year.
Of particular interest to the council and the local community are the planned upgrades for Cockatoo’s Alma Treloar Reserve.
Mr Alexander said to ensure the playspace met local needs, the council conducted face-to-face consultation with residents of all ages at the Cockatoo Market, local kindergartens and primary schools and also received 88 responses via an online survey.
“Following this feedback, six playground designs were put back out to the community for further feedback and voting. Council received 625 votes for the six options with the winning design receiving 402 votes,” he said.
Mr Alexander said council works were expected to start in the coming weeks and were due for completion in November.
The project includes the relocation of the playground space to a more central location within the reserve.
The new playspace will include an activity net, insect four-way springer, ladybug springer, pommel walk, rock and climbing walls, rope bridge, ladder and nets, roty spinner, slides, three-bay swings and a tractor play unit.
Lakeside Park and PB Ronald Reserve playgrounds are still at the community consultation design stage, but are expected to be completed this summer.
Additional work including seating, paths and landscaping will also be funded by Council at each playspace once the play equipment is installed.
Mr Alexander said these upgrades added “to the new neighbourhood playgrounds council constructed this year at Melissa Way Reserve in Pakenham and Cardinia Recreation Reserve in Cardinia at an investment of $50,000 each”.
