We have received $1.7million grant from NSW NSW Govt’s Public Spaces Legacy Program (PSLP) to fund upgrades to the playground and fitness station in Waverley Park. The goal is to have construction complete by the end of 2022.

Designing the playspace

Before we start the design of the playspace we have suggested some ideas based on previous community feedback as outlined in the Play Space Strategy 2014-2029 and Inclusive Play Space Study 2020.

When we have a better idea of the community's priorities we can develop a concept design for the next stage of consultation.

What we know:

We know the size will increase to accommodate toddlers to teen, the types of play will expand and access and inclusion will improve for a broad range of users and abilities. These features are displayed in the map below.

What we don't know:

We don't know the community's priority of playspace and want to know what types of experiences we should focus on.

In the survey, we ask you to rank the types of play listed below. All of them will be included in the final design however, whichever has the most community support will be focused on.

Types of play experience	Examples of equipment
Physical play - moving equipment	swing, slide, flying fox, spinner, rocker
Physical play - static equipment	climbing equipment, somersault bars, monkey bars, balancing equipment
Cognitive play	play panels, puzzles to solve, maze, strategy games like capture the flag
Sensory play	music/sound play, fragrance trail, textured (touch) trails, sensory stimulation, confined spaces to “squish” into.
Nature play	sing plants, rocks, sand, shrubs and trees to explore, wooden/natural equipment, water play, loose parts play
Imaginative play	imaginative settings like shop front, themed equipment such as boats or castles, sculpted animals
Solo play	watching others, individual play opportunities, side-by-side play
Social play	see-saw, pulley and sand, “tip”, hang out spaces, group spinner
Free play	open areas to run around in, kick/throw a ball
Quiet play	quiet spaces to sit, watch others, read, study, talk, play sit-down game

Play for all ages

There will be inclusive play elements for a wide range of children, parents and carers of all abilities to comfortably and safely interact.

We are looking for feedback on including adult exercise equipment co-located with children’s play areas. This could involve the following ideas:

Types of play	Examples of equipment
Balance and co-ordination (as opposed to muscle, strength and cardiac exercise),	specialised equipment to encourage agility
Specialised play equipment in two sizes for adults and children	“you and me” swing, roup play items where adults and children can be accommodated together e.g. group spinner, group swing

Let us know your feedback on these items by completing the playspace survey. (Survey tab of this page.)

Attend an online event to provide more feedback and speak directly with the project team.

There are two community information sessions. Registration is essential.

Wednesday 3 November, 7pm-8pm - Waverley Park Plan of Management: This is for the project team to understand how the space is used, who is using it, how they get there and where it could improve. There will be a focus on the POM in general and the playspace and fitness station.

Thursday 4 November, 7pm-8pm - Waverley Park POM and Indoor cricket net training facility: The project team will give a short overview of the Plan of Management and the cricket nets, then it will be your turn to ask questions and provide feedback.