The new multimillion-dollar playground in Sir Joseph Banks Park, Botany, designed with input from local children, was opened to the local community on Saturday 18 March.
This new adventure playground is fully funded by a $2.5million grant from the NSW Government’s Legacy Grant program and a $250,000 NSW Government’s Open Spaces Program – Places to Play grant.
Sydney Airport also provided $200,000 for landscaping to increase the tree canopy and provide habitat for wildlife.
“This exciting adventure playground, created after extensive community consultation and feedback, will be a wonderful space for our families for many years to come,” Mayor Dr Christina Curry said.
Bayside Council consulted extensively with the community, even hosting onsite workshops, to gather feedback from local children before designing the new playground.
“The engagement for Sir Joseph Banks regional play facility was intentionally focussed on the children so we got the design right. The feedback was so insightful that it allowed our designers to shape and tailor the adventure playground in a very purposeful and meaningful way,” Mayor Curry said.
Minister for Planning and Minister for ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾s Anthony Roberts said as a government, we’re proud to work in partnership with councils and their local communities, to ensure everyone has access to parks and recreation areas where they feel included and safe.
“What has been created here in Botany is a wonderful reflection of the community’s wants and needs – particularly school-age children who have been an integral part of Council’s planning of these facilities,” Mr Roberts said.
“These areas are being made possible due to our programs, such as the Public Spaces Legacy Program, which has provided the biggest injection of funding for public spaces in a generation, delivering the infrastructure needed for active, connected, and healthy communities, as our population and housing need grow.”
The children told council they wanted their new playground to:
- Be adventurous and fun with something big to climb and slides
- To have lots of climbing and swings
- have flying foxes, rock climbing, monkey bars and carousel,
- Have something for all ages, be inclusive
- Be a fun place for family and friends to gather
The result is 5200sqm of adventurous play space which includes a range of play experiences that combine nature play with custom and proprietary play equipment, as well as sound and sensory play all within a natural setting that is welcoming and family friendly.
“At the centre of the play space is a bespoke piece of play equipment which is a shell shaped play tower and mound slide that takes advantage of the natural landform which fulfils the children’s request for something big with slides,” Mayor Dr Curry said.
“We are so grateful to the kids and families who participated in this innovative engagement. Now we know that the adventure play facility ticks the boxes of the kids who will use it, we are confident it will be a huge success,” she said.
The playground includes spaces for younger and older children and spaces for quiet and active play, a play tower with a high inclined log climb, 2 high slides and various climbing nets; trampolines, lower slides for younger children, various timber balance and agility equipment, rock scrambling and climbing walls, a flying fox, musical play, sandstone art and sensory play items set amongst landscaped areas for nature play.
Sir Joseph Banks Park, the site of Australia’s first zoological gardens, includes recreational facilities such as extensive walking trails, bushland, bush regeneration areas, bush tucker gardens, a series of ponds supporting native fauna, a playground, basketball (half court), picnic and BBQ facilities, and an off-leash dog park.
Proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with Bayside Council
