Woman and man standing in front of tower slides with more playground equipment in the background
HAVE YOUR SAY:  Council’s Strategic Recreation Officer Kadison Hofert and Manager Recreation & Economic Development Ben Creighton encourage the community to help shape our play spaces over the next 20 years by giving their input on the draft Playground Strategy.
Council

Help Council shape its Playground Strategy for the next two decades

Published: 09 Nov 2023 8:56am

Council is seeking community feedback on its draft Playground Strategy 2023-2043, which guides all aspects of Council’s playground management across the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area (LGA) for the next 20 years.

At its Ordinary Meeting on Monday night (23 October), Wagga Wagga City Council endorsed placing the draft strategy on exhibition for28 days, with submissions to be accepted until 7 December 2023.

Draft Playground Strategy 2023-2043

Have Your Say

Manager Recreation & Economic Development Ben Creighton is encouraging the community to get involved by having their say on the draft strategy.

“This strategy will shape the future of how we develop and manage our play spaces over the next 20 years, so it’s important for the community to provide their input,” Mr Creighton said.

“Wagga Wagga is a growing regional city, and we want to ensure our play spaces will meet the needs of the community now and into the future.”

Playground with shade sails at rural village
📷 Playground at Paddy Osborne Park in Tarcutta.

Council has 100 playgrounds across the LGA, valued at in excess of $9.5 million and with a combined annual usage of approximately 500,000 visits.

The draft strategy aims to deliver high quality play spaces which are accessible, diverse, safe, and fun for children of all ages, and their caregivers, while also ensuring they can be financially supported by Council.

It includes 16 recommendations covering a range of actions required to be implemented to achieve the aims of the strategy.

Among these are increasing the annual playground maintenance budget, installing nonverbal communication boards at all suburban and regional playgrounds, and installing large regional level playgrounds in the city’s southern and northern suburbs.

There is also a large focus on shade at playgrounds.

Playground covered by shade sails
KEEPING COOL: The playground at Jack Avenue in Mount Austin recently had shade sails installed as part of Council’s focus on improving shade coverage at playgrounds across Wagga Wagga and the surrounding villages.

“We have six recommendations which directly relate to improving shade coverage at existing playgrounds and ensuring it’s integrated in the planning of future play spaces,” Mr Creighton said.

“This reflects the wishes of the community, who identified it is a key issue in the online survey conducted by council during the initial review of the Playgrounds Strategy 2016-2036.

“We have also heard their feedback about a water play/splash park for the city, with a recommendation that it be included in the planning for the Bolton Park Masterplan.”

Draft Playground Strategy 2023-2043

The draft Playground Strategy 2016-2036 is on exhibition from 9 November 2023 to 7 December 2023 at haveyoursay.wagga.nsw.gov.au

You can also view a copy of the draft strategy at the Customer Service desk at the Civic Centre.

Find out more