Council is preparing an Inclusive Play Study for Waverley local government area and is seeking community feedback on how we can improve equitable distribution of inclusive play spaces across Waverley Local Government Area (LGA).

Council was approached from community members regarding the perception of a lack of accessible play spaces in the LGA and lack of clarity in Council’s adopted Play Space Strategy 2014-2029 directly addressing the provision of accessible and inclusive play in future play space upgrades.  

The NSW Department of Planning & Environment have committed to providing guidance on how to create more inclusive play spaces in NSW, and recently released the inclusive play space guidelines ‘Everyone Can Play’. The release of the guide has coincided with Council’s study and our commitment to providing play spaces where everyone can play in our LGA.  The guidelines will inform Council’s study, but in more detail with specific design principles, actions and recommendations for Waverley’s play spaces. 

The DIAP was a collaboration between Waverley and Randwick Councils to develop a joint regional framework to ensure a consistent approach to disability planning across the Eastern Suburbs. The DIAP commits to improved access to Council facilities, venues, parks and beaches through the application of Australian Access and Mobility Standards, and Universal Design principles. The Inclusive Play Study will support this strategic direction by providing Council with planning and design guidance to prioritise inclusive play space development.

An accessible play space enables people with a disability to reach, enter and use the play space.

An inclusive play space benefits the community by providing play spaces that everyone can access, with a choice of play activities and experiences enabling everyone to discover can find something to enjoy.

You can provide feedback at our community workshop or Have Your Say Waverley via the online survey. There will be two opportunities to provide feedback with the Round 1 consultation workshop and the online survey providing feedback into the Draft Study. Round 2 consultation provides the Draft Study report back to you for final comments. The Draft Study will then be formally reported to Council for endorsement.If you would like further information, please contact us via phone 02 9083 8670 or e-mail OpenSpace@waverley.nsw.gov.au.

Your feedback will be used to help draft the Inclusive Play Study, establishing the principles and actions for providing inclusive play spaces in Waverley Council. The study will be used to guide detailed design of play spaces as Council progressively upgrades the forty (40) play spaces across the LGA.

Each year Council aims to upgrade two (2) play spaces. Each play space goes through a concept development and community consultation process before Council commits to a final design. Council invites community feedback through online surveys and Have Your Say days at the park. Local residents affected by the upgrade are invited to participate in this process.

If you would like to remain informed about play space upgrades in Waverley you can join our mailing list by registering on our Have Your Say website.

To assist in prioritising playground upgrade works Council adopted the Play Space Strategy in 2014 following community consultation. This Play Space Strategy is a guide to how and when Council upgrades play spaces in the LGA. In addition to the Play Space Strategy, Council commissions an annual play space safety audit of all the playgrounds to ensure all they are safe and operational.

Each year Council officers make recommendations for play space upgrades, based on the Play Space Strategy and annual safety audits, for inclusions in the upcoming years Capital Works Program. These recommended works are then determined by the elected Councillors and projects are approved with a specified budget for the year.