Collecting community feedback
Last year Council made a decision to update the play equipment in the playspace at Garrong Park to accommodate the needs of older children.
In December 2021 we held a community forum with affected residents to talk about the detailed design of the new play equipment. The purpose of the forum was to seek community feedback on the new play equipment design for Garrong Park with a view to managing any potential negative amenity impacts on residents living next to the park.
We received lots of feedback from residents at the forum, and by email.
Thank you again to everyone that was involved in the community forum.
We have been working with the play equipment supplier over the Christmas break to incorporate your feedback and we can now share with you the final designs for the new play structure.
Final designs
We have worked hard to respond to as many of the ideas and suggestions as possible, in a fair and balanced manner that addresses the various views of the community.
See below a summary of the changes that have been made to the equipment in response to the feedback received from those who attended the forum and provided feedback via email.
Changes in response to feedback
The tube slide height has been increased without having to increase the maximum height of the platform. This will improve the quality and difficulty of the slide without creating any additional privacy concerns.
We have flipped the roof elements on lower south tower, placing the higher slanted roof sections closer to the viewing platform to obstruct the view lines from the higher vantage points.
We also investigated a more a-frame like roof structure however this wasn’t achievable.
The timber screening panels on both towers have been increased in height to further restrict views into any adjoining properties.
This will also make climbing up on the structure more difficult.
The main structure and platform materials will be made of timber, with metal structural elements (poles and posts).
The use of the wood responds to the request for natural materials and will help to reduce noise.
The colours have been selected from a natural palette, including natural timber for the main platform structures and screening, and green for the plastic slide elements.
In response to the requests for a colour palette that will aid users with vision impairments, we have selected a light doeskin colour for the handles and grabs rungs and combined this with a charcoal for the upright steel elements to provide a clear contrast.
Once the play equipment has been installed we will look for opportunities to plant additional trees within the play space. We won’t be able to confirm this until the equipment is fully installed, however we will make every effort to retain existing trees and maximise the potential for additional planting.
Minor modifications have been made to include adding a steering wheel to one of the lower ground panels and an additional ‘squeeze’ panel to improve variety of the play experience for younger children.
The left and right climbing wall panels have also been reversed to lower part of the platform.
Final designs for the play structure
What happens next?
The play equipment has been ordered and we expect the installation to begin in May 2022.
We will provide an update closer to the commencement of construction once we have confirmed dates for the works.
We will also be notifying surrounding residents and placing signage at the park to ensure the community is informed of the construction dates.
We would like to say a huge thank you to the community for your involvement in this process and we look forward to seeing the new equipment in the play space fairly soon.
Previous engagement on this project
