Is revamped Collingwood park Melbourne’s saddest playground?

A single swing and awkward metal bars are all that’s left after a council spent $2m to “upgrade” a Collingwood park. Now frustrated parents want play equipment put back.

Angry Collingwood residents have slammed Yarra City Council for creating what might be Melbourne’s saddest playground.

The Cambridge Street Reserve, which is surrounded by high-rise apartment blocks filled with young families, was once home to slides, swings, seesaws and a climbing frame.

After an upgrade to double the size of the park which the Council says cost $2m, all that’s left for kids to play on is a single swing and two simple climbing bars.

The bars seem more suitable for adults trying to get ripped for summer than young children having a play.

“Where’s the equipment?” was the first thought of local mum Brielle Pope, 41, who spoke of her disappointment when the park officially reopened last week.

“I’m a single parent, and I’ve got a dog and a two-year-old and having a park a block from my house that my daughter could play on independently, while my dog (was nearby) was going to be a game changer,” she said.

Avaline 3, isn’t a fan of the new slippery metal poles. Picture: David Caird

The removal of the playground from Cambridge St has significantly reduced the amount of kid-friendly space in a suburb which is home to more than 1000 children.

Instead of playground equipment, the newly designed park is focused on places for people to eat lunch and is now home to fancy art installations.

While Ms Pope said the previously run-down area definitely needed an facelift, it shouldn’t have come at the expense of space for children to play in.

One resident claimed that, when she approached a council official with her concerns, she was told her child could play in one of the park’s new garden beds.

Critics say the facelift shouldn’t have come at the expense of space for children to play in. Picture: David Caird

Angry locals say the council has gone back on its word and ignored the wishes of the increasing number of young families which call the area home.

“You told us you want to see traditional play equipment in the park, so we’ve included some in the final design,” Yarra City Council told respondents to a survey in 2021.

“People kept saying they want that traditional playground back in it, and they just ignored it, essentially,” Sierra Lever, 31, said.

“It just seems that they (the council) knew what they wanted for this park, they had a preconceived idea of what they wanted to go into the park.”

Now parents like Sierra and Brielle have teamed up to try to force the council to add more play equipment into the revamped space.

A petition is calling for the council to reinstall play equipment. Picture: David Caird

An online petition has attracted more than 600 signatures, along with the support of one local councillor, Stephen Jolly.

“This mistake has been made and now it needs to be rectified,” Mr Jolly told the Herald Sun.

There is also confusion over the final cost of the project.

Yarra City Council say they received $1.3m from the state government and contributed $731,130 themselves to upgrade the space.

However, figures from the council’s 2023/24 budget appear to show a project cost of just $1.06m.

The Herald Sun has contacted Yarra City Council for clarification of the total cost of the revamped park, and a breakdown of where the money was spent.

Any money left over from the pot the state government allocated to the project should be spent on new playground equipment, Mr Jolly said.