Age-appropriate play equipment was urgently needed in many Moreland parks as the region was starved of facilities, a local community action group said.
Garrong Park Community Action Group spokesperson Lois Knight said the Brunswick park, despite a consultation process she was happy with, was a waste of taxpayer money.
“You know, if it was one park in many that was just focused on tiny kids, that might be forgivable.”
“But when it’s multiple parks, including quite newly developed parks that are only good for pre-schoolers, it’s leaving kids throughout the school years with no outside play options that will engage them and help them stick at it”, Ms Knight said.
During last month’s council meeting, Moreland Council said it would defer any decision on playground equipment at Garrong Park until after the park is officially opened in May.
But Ms Knight, who has an 11-year-old son, said it wasn’t good enough to leave children without suitable outdoor activities.
“We’re all desperate for our kids to be off screens and playing outside but…even with all this money spent, [council] still didn’t get that right,” she said.
A tall play tower with a winding slide which stood at Garrong Park during construction was removed, leaving only a swing set, rocker, spinner, small climbing fixture set in a shallow sandpit, and a small modular play unit which replaced the tower.
Ms Knight says she understood from conversations with council officers that the tower was removed due to complaints from residents in playground-facing townhouses on Cassels Road.
In Brunswick East, 5th Brunswick Scout Group Scout Leader Deanna Wang was involved in an unsuccessful campaign to save the large carousel at Douglas Reserve opposite the Scout hall.
The carousel was “one of the few things that appealed to all ages”, Ms Wang said.
Douglas Reserve was seen as the last chance for an all-ages playground in the area, as the revamp of nearby Balfe Park last year failed to provide play opportunities for school-aged children, Ms Wang said.
“The equipment has no interest for the kids… it’s not working as play.”
University of Canberra Associate Professor of Early Childhood and Primary Education Dr Kym Simoncini said play was crucial to children’s learning and the development of conflict negotiation, turn-taking, sharing, and physical skills, and gives children the opportunity “to take risks and discover their own limits”.
“I don’t think there is anything that doesn’t work if you take the notion of asking children what they want seriously.”
Consultations continue on the installation of satisfactory equipment at Garrong Park and Douglas Reserve.
But the effort of advocacy takes its toll, Ms Wang said.
“It can be almost like a 2nd job…. it’s quite emotionally draining.”
Moreland Council was contacted for comment.
