The ACT Government has today released the draft ACT Play Spaces Strategy mapping out our plans to continue improving and investing in Canberra’s playgrounds.
“Canberra’s playgrounds are one of our great community assets, with over 500 of them dotted across our regions and suburbs. As our city grows and changes, we want to make sure we have the right mix and distribution of spaces offering accessible, high quality play experiences for people of all ages and abilities,” said Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel.
“The draft Play Spaces Strategy maps out how we will maintain and improve these important community assets. This includes a focus on delivering more diverse types of play – like bike tracks, water and nature play, and fitness equipment.
“Play is not just about physical activity, it can also support cognitive, creative and social development. We want Canberra’s playgrounds to be a safe environment for children and young people to explore the world and develop a sense of self and place – in their environments, neighbourhoods and communities.
“We also know that playgrounds are valued by the whole community for their amenities like seating, shade and toilets. We saw how important these outdoor facilities were during the recent COVID-19 lockdown, and we will continue working to improve their quality and availability,” said Minister Steel.
The draft strategy outlines eight key actions that will shape the ACT Government’s ongoing delivery of play spaces:
- Deliver better quality play spaces equitably and sustainably across the network – including by prioritising district and central play spaces for major upgrade and refresh works.
- Make underused play spaces available to the community for more play uses – such as by working with communities to identify preferred community uses like nature play, community gardens or bike trails.
- Strengthen the quality and diversity of play experiences for children – including by adding types of play experiences which are less common within the existing network.
- Ensure play spaces are accessible for all – with an emphasis on strengthening delivery of play spaces that are accessible for people with physical and psychosocial disabilities, neurodiverse people and those across the age spectrum.
- Assess play value and use this to improve delivery and maintenance of play spaces through the development of a tailored Play Value Index which can help inform future investment priorities.
- Ensure play spaces are sustainable and resilient to a changing climate – with a particular emphasis on tree planting in and around play spaces and accessibility of play spaces by public transport and active travel.
- Regularly assess and maintain all play spaces to relevant safety standards.
- Align play space developments and enhancements to community aspirations.
The Play Spaces Strategy has grown out of the conducted during the 9th Assembly. This forum brought diverse members of the Canberra community together to discuss and deliberate on priorities for ACT Government investment in city services – including local play spaces.
This collaborative approach will continue with community consultation now open on the priorities and actions identified by the draft Strategy. Canberrans are encouraged to have their say, with consultation open until Tuesday 14 December 2021 via YourSay at
To complement the release of the draft play space strategy, the Government has also started consultation features for a new playground in Canberra’s Inner North which is proposed to be located in Watson.
This is in addition to new or upgraded playgrounds in Kaleen, Ngunnawal, Chisolm, Gordon, Lyons and Aranda which were funded in the Budget as well as new playgrounds on the Tuggeranong foreshore, the Casey recreation park, Duffy shops and Narrabundah. These will all be the subject of consultation with the community in the future.
“We committed to deliver a new playground for the inner-north at the 2020 election. This investment closely aligns with the draft Strategy’s aim of ensuring all regions of Canberra have access to a large, high quality district playground,” said Minister Steel.
“We want to hear from the Inner North community about what features they’d like to see at a new ‘destination’ playground including broader whole of community recreational facilities.”
Children across Canberra are also invited to participate in the broader consultation by completing a drawing or painting and visiting the ‘kid’s corner’ on the website.
“We want to make sure children are involved in shaping the design of these spaces and what play elements they would like to use. These ideas will feed into our play space strategy, the new inner-north district playground and other new playground designs.”
Information will be communicated through the education directorate to schools and early education and care settings to encourage primary school teachers and early childhood educators to get involved.
Consultation on the Inner North playground is open until Tuesday 14 December, with feedback provided via YourSay at .
Quotes attributable to Samantha Page – CEO Early Childhood Australia
“We can all benefit from play but for young children, play is how they learn and how they engage with the world,” said Samantha Page CEO Early Childhood Australia.
‘Creating spaces that support children to explore, to wonder and to collaborate is the way to grow a generation of children who are confident, curious learners.
‘The early years are when we lay the foundation for lifelong mental health and wellbeing. Giving children time and space to play with friends, engage in imaginative, creative play and experience the outdoors is a great way to achieve that.”
