Playground may cost $700,000

The Peninsula may get a "precinct park" at Umina Oval, costing up to $700,000, under Gosford Council's proposed playgrounds strategy.

Residents and community representatives were told this at a community meeting held at the Peninsula Community Centre last Thursday to discuss Council's playground strategy.

The Peninsula is regarded as "precinct" under the strategy and the oval is one location being considered for a precinct park.

This plan was strongly supported by Peninsula Families Action Group.

Gosford Council's coordinator of parks and waterways Ms Kylie Yeend presented the session, supported by two other staff and Crs Chris Holstein and Vicki Scott.

Ms Yeend provided an overview, saying the plans were for four types of playground: pocket, suburb, precinct and city.

She said there were currently no precinct or city playgrounds in the Gosford municipality, but the plan was to have a city park on the Gosford waterfront, and a precinct park in each identified precinct.

Ms Yeend said precinct parks were expensive to install, costing between $300,000 and $700,000. Funding would determine when these were able to be constructed, but currently safety was a key feature in planning, as the parks needed to comply with Australian standards.

For example, providing soft-fall surfaces was one of the most expensive requirements.

She said equipment was being removed from a number of parks and playgrounds because the equipment was unsafe.

Ms Yeend said Council was investigating a range of funding possibilities, including applying to other levels of Government to assist.

Kylie said that the Peninsula has four suburb parks, namely Pelican, Umina, Lions and a new one at Patonga Caravan Park.

She also said that community concern and involvement played a big role in what happened to parks.

Residents raised a number of issues about the proposed plans for the Peninsula in general, as well as about particular Peninsula parks and playgrounds.

A representative from Family Day Care stressed the need for safe, shaded play areas with toilet facilities.

Another resident raised the issue of Section 94 funds and asked if the funds that had been expended on the Peninsula Leisure Centre were going to be paid back to be used for their proper purpose of open space purchase and embellishment.

A mother with three young children asked that Lion's Park have an area that was fenced so toddlers could not easily run into the water.

Council was commended for providing gates at Vernon Park so the Peninsula now has one gated park.

This park was also commended because it has good shade.

In response to questions from residents, Council staff said the playgrounds were designed to serve all members of the community, all ages and levels of ability.

One issue raised was the relevance of the playground strategy to older teenagers, and Council agreed to consider this matter more fully.

Another key issue raised was the need to have playgrounds as part of community development, and community group representatives offered to assist Council address this aspect more fully.

For instance, one attendee said playgrounds offered a major opportunity to build the capacity of community members, strengthen connections between people, and reduce isolation.

Another said Council was in a position to capitalise on this by ensuring the playground strategy was integrated with other Council plans, strategies and departments, eg by collaborating and sharing resources with Council's community development staff.

One resident asked that the strategy take environmental factors into account, including the need to protect plant communities threatened with extinction, and to plant native plants that would support wildlife threatened with extinction, eg plant trees that support the grey-headed flying fox.

Ms Yeend said the proposal was to reduce the number of pocket parks on the Peninsula to 18.

She said this included removing 13, retaining eight, replacing four, upgrading nine and creating two new parks.

Ms Yeend also said pocket parks varied in size and design.

Several residents asked about plans for individual parks, for example Woy Woy's Nambucca Dr, Dulkara Ave and Florida Ave.

There was discussion about these and the basis for council's recommendations, eg current usage, safety, compliance with Australian standards, shade, toilets, maintenance costs, environmental issues, proximity to schools, public transport, main roads and other parks.

As a result of attendees raising concerns about these and other individual parks, Cr Holstein stated that Council would reconsider these plans.

He said Council would consult further with relevant community members about these.

Shirley Hotchkiss, December 8