The community’s passion for playgrounds has sparked the creation of a Reference Group to assist the City in the selection of playground equipment to be installed in six parks in the coming months as part of a phased approach to reviewing playground equipment.

City of Greater Geraldton CEO, Ken Diehm, said the City had received a lot of questions from the community regarding the removal of playground equipment including letters from school children.

“Year Five students at Geraldton Primary School wrote the City to ask when the playground equipment was going to be replaced,” he said.

“The interest and concern revealed in their letters encouraged the City to form a reference group so the community could be involved in the replacement of playground equipment in parks.”

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor, Shane Van Styn, says the Community Playground Reference Group has been given a number of tasks in relation to playgrounds.

“The first role the Reference Group is to choose playground equipment they believe would be best suited to each of the parks that falls within the 2015/16 Budget of $429,000.00 allocated for renewal,” he said.

“Their second role is to share their knowledge and experience of playground equipment so the City can get a better understanding of what the community values, this will help set the foundations for decision making around playground equipment in the future.”

Membership in the Community Playground Reference Group comprises of primary school teachers, child educators, neighbourhood development group representatives and parents with their children.

On 22 September, Council resolved to implement a phased approach to the renewal of playground equipment in parks.

“Six parks identified as high priority in the Public Open Space Strategy will have their playground equipment replaced in the coming months,” said Mayor Van Styn.