Inclusive playspace designs still coming

THE impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the design of a major new playground in Rippleside, according to the City of Greater Geelong.

Along with partners Variety and the Victorian government, the city is planning to build the Rippleside Park Inclusive Playspace, a flagship new play area for children of all ages and abilities to play together at Rippleside Park.

It will incorporate multi-sensory and nature play elements, with opportunities for physical, creative, social and passive play.

The project will design a regional-level playground and plan for associated infrastructure such as path connections and accessible toilets at Rippleside Park, and will replace the highly popular existing wooden playground, which opened in 2001.

The city has drawn up concept designs endorsed by the council in April 2021 based on accessibility and inclusive design principles, as well as feedback from community and stakeholder consultation.

The city originally intended detailed design plans would be completed by the landscape architects and made available to the public in late 2021.

Last week, the city’s director of community life, Robyn Stevens, said the playspace was “a large and complex project that involves significant collaboration with the local community”.

“We’re aiming to deliver a new playspace that can be enjoyed by families across the region,” she said.

“We’ve been working with our funding partners and landscape architects to ensure the community feedback received in response to the concept designs is captured in the detailed designs.

“COVID-19 is impacting project delivery across the community and we are working limit delays as much as possible.

“We expect to release draft detailed designs to the community for comment in March/April 2022.

“The City of Greater Geelong and the Victorian government have made major financial commitments to this project and we were also recent successful in obtaining a $110,000 grant through the Victorian government’s Changing Places Funding Round 2021.

“Providing a Changing Places facility will ensure the playspace is truly accessible to all of our residents and visitors.”