New South Hobart playground on track for winter opening
A Hobart community has put in the hard yards to secure a playground at an unused council site. Here’s how.
Tasmania
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A petition spurred from a passing comment from a neighbour has secured a new playground for a South Hobart community.
Two blocks of unused council land between Saunders Crescent and Moree Close will become the City of Hobart’s 56th playground that’s set to open six to eight weeks time, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds says.
The project was brought to life by the Cascades Playground Collective, with Emma Green the lead petitioner.
She started to take action after a neighbour commented the space used to have play equipment while she was playing in the dirt and rocks at the site with her eldest child.
“It was a real community effort, the kids around the neighbourhood did some doorknocking around the neighbourhood to get some petitions signed,” Mrs Green said
“It was a great way to bring the community together.”
The playground is expected to include a picnic shelter, bike track, new plantings, boulder wall, swings, rocker and climbing frame.
The group collaborated with the council on what will be included at the site.
The mayor said the project was driven by the community.
“They [playgrounds] are really important in the work we do to provide a space for the community — particularly for our youngest members of our community — to play and learn and develop and that’s what playgrounds are really important for,” Ms Reynolds said.
“It’ll be packed with lots of great experiences and we hope it’ll be a hub for the community to get out and meet each other.”
The playground is supported by the Tasmanian Government through the Department of State Growth and tallied a little over $200,000, she said.
“These kind of facilities are relatively small amounts of money for a big social impact in our community, particularly our little ones,” she said.
Originally published as New South Hobart playground on track for winter opening
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