Play equipment may be removed

Peninsula playgrounds may have their equipment removed as part of a regional playground strategy.

But they will remain as reserves, according to Gosford Council's coordinator for parks and waterways, Ms Kylie Yeend.

A draft Regional Playground Strategy is currently being produced by council, focusing on creating "precinct parks", consolidating the current playgrounds, upgrading some existing parks and removing the equipment from others.

Ms Yeend said that some playgrounds were used incidentally, and the feeling picked up from a recently exhibited questionnaire was that the playgrounds should be consolidated.

She said the council was proposing large-scale precinct parks.

Ms Yeend said reasons to remove playground equipment included safety standards and the equipment below the Australian Standard, security, poor location, lack of use, inaccessibility, poor topology, other playgrounds in the area, proximity to services, and transport and schools.

She said that council had limited resources and it was a question of how to best spend the money.

Ms Yeend said a host of Peninsula parks had been recommended for equipment upgrade and replacement, with some also suggested for removal.

The reserves themselves would stay so people could still play on them or use them for picnics.

Under the draft strategy, it had been recommended that both Florida Ave and Vernon Ave playgrounds be retained and repaired.

Nambucca Dr playground has been recommended to have its equipment removed.

Ms Yeend said that strategy had involved input from questionnaires, several community representatives, and four upcoming forums around the Gosford Local Government Area, including the Peninsula.

A forum will be held at the Woy Woy Community Centre Hall on Thursday, December 7, from 10am to 11:30am.

Meetings will also be held on Tuesday, December 5, from 10am to 11:30am at Niagara Park Community Centre, Wednesday, December 6, from 10am to 11:30am at the Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club and 7pm to 8:30pm on the same day at the Erina Centre, Erina Fair.

Lyle Stone, November 20