New nature-based playground opens at Leopold

GATEWAY Sanctuary’s new playground has officially opened.

Geelong MP Christine Couzens, the City of Greater Geelong’s director of community life Linda Quinn and Lion’s Club members were all on hand last Wednesday to celebrate the occasion.

Leopold Primary School pupils were also there and couldn’t wait to test out the new play equipment, which features a rope bridge, tunnels, mud pits, logs, sand, fossils, magnifying glasses and water play.

Located on the corner of Melaluka Road and the Bellarine Highway, the playground is based around nature play, incorporating the sanctuary’s natural surrounds and allowing children of all ages to play and immerse themselves in the natural environment.

City of Greater Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood said Leopold was a growing community and the new playground provided a beautiful and much larger play space for families to spend time, relax and have fun.

Ms Couzens said the new facility provided a great opportunity for children to enjoy a local park, which meets the needs of children of all abilities with different activities located in a brilliant location.

Designed with a sustainability focus, the playground features more than 2,000 mostly indigenous plants, recycled and repurposed timber and mulch, local stone, low-carbon concrete and recycled crushed rock.

A further sustainable aspect of the project involved Highton, Geelong and Flemington Rotary clubs and the MG Car Club Geelong dismantling the old play equipment and sending it to Sri Lanka to be reused as part of the Sputnik Children’s Park and Toy Library project.

The project delivered a much-needed playground and book and toy library to young people, including a girls’ orphanage and nearby school, in Sri Lanka’s Kurunegala District.

It included a container filled with items such as computers, sewing machines, shelving, books and toys, solar panels and batteries for the local community.

The new Gateway Sanctuary nature playground was funded jointly by the city ($150,000) and the state government ($100,000).

The city looks after 270 public playgrounds throughout the muncipality of Greater Geelong.

To find your nearest one, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/parks.