Council gives cash for park upgrade in Toongabbie

Residents have won the fight for funding to restore a beloved park in Toongabbie.

Toongabbie residents Suzette Meade with her children Liam and Matilda, and neighbour Kerry Doherty, at their beloved park.

WHEN Toongabbie resident Kerry Doherty moved into his house on Valencia Cres 22 years ago the park just two doors down was a mess, and it hasn’t got any better.

The bubbler had been broken and still isn’t mended, vandals broke park equipment and the council took the swings away. At night there was no lighting and it was dangerous and muddy. The park didn’t even have a name.

But residents led by Mr Doherty and neighbour Suzette Meade have been fighting for funding to restore the open space and at last Blacktown Council have agreed to spend $150,000. There may even be a competition to give it a name.

Suzette Meade with her children Liam and Matilda. After decades, the playground will get an upgrade with Blacktown Council funds.

“I’ve been agitating council to do something about it,” Mr Doherty said.

“Back 15 to 20 years or so I used to work at Hornsby and used to walk through the park and it was muddy and dark. That was when I got on to the council and they put a footpath in. And there was a timber railing and it had all rotted so I got on to the council and they did replace it a couple of years ago.”

Ms Meade said residents needed to be custodians for their neighbourhoods and that was what she and other locals had done by fronting up to council and asking for action. She said Toongabbie was an area often forgotten about but at last seemed to have been noticed.

“It’s been dubbed Valencia Park but it doesn’t seem to have a name. At council it’s just a number so perhaps we can have a naming competition too.”

At a presentation in the park on Saturday Blacktown councillor Susai Benjamin officially let residents know the grant had been awarded and residents are being consulted about how the money should be spent.

Mr Doherty would like to see the bubbler mended, the swings put back and some shade cloth placed so young children can play safely and have fun.

“There are so few green spaces these days, most of the time they seem to be putting apartment blocks up, so we need to make their park the local park for everyone who lives round here, ” he said.