More than just the three Rs

COUNCILS often get told to concentrate on the three ‘Rs’ – roads, rates and rubbish.

But with 130 different services on the books, it’s easy to find other letters that require just as much focus.

Take ‘P’ – covering areas such as pools, planning, parks and playgrounds.

There are 380 public play spaces across Greater Geelong that Council is responsible for.

The ongoing maintenance of these is a huge effort, requiring significant investment and operational expertise.

And with a growing population, there is a need to continually improve and expand the facilities on offer for residents and visitors.

About $600,000 per year is spent bringing older playgrounds up to standard.

This funding will see upgrades to nine sites during 2023-24, including the replacement of the fort at Pevensey Park in East Geelong.

On top of this, Council has made extra allocations for major redevelopment works.

In the Brownbill Ward, significant funding ($2.5 million) is set aside for an overhaul of Rippleside Playground, with a further $200,000 to modernise Sparrow Park in Geelong West.

After a fruitful public feedback, work on the Sparrow Park playground and maze will begin in February.

While the majority of the play equipment is about 20 years old and could do with a refresh, the district-level playground on Weller Street is much loved.

All playgrounds provide free fun for different age groups and are a great space for families and friends to socialise.

On top of that, they can offer physical and mental challenges that encourage kids to test their boundaries and increase their skills.

But they cannot all be the same, and the diverse range of individual features is what makes them interesting and provides different experiences.

It was clear from listening to the community that the unique aspects of Sparrow Park were its key features, and people from far and wide did not want to see these lost.

I personally saw the widely held pride and sense of ownership that residents have for the park, at one of the on-site feedback sessions held in March last year.

The large turnout on that day – and the high number (625) of overall responses we received on the redevelopment – made it clear that we had to get the plans right.

Sparrow Park will remain a district-level playground, providing a range of play opportunities and amenities for all ages and abilities.

The current playground equipment will be replaced with new equipment, while a seat will be installed and additional trees planted for shade.

One of the great local features, the maze, will be replaced by a new timber maze, taking up a similar footprint.

New pieces include monkey bars, a glider, senior climbing cube and a wheelchair spinner.

While the playground and maze will be off-limits for about eight weeks during the works, the remainder of Sparrow Park will still be accessible.

That means the large lawn, recreational facilities, rotunda, barbecues, toilets and walking paths can still be used.

Like so many in the wider Geelong West community, I’m really looking forward to seeing the upgraded play space re-open and continue to provide so much fun and entertainment to local families.

If you haven’t seen the final design, please hrad to yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/SparrowPark

As always, I am happy to speak to anyone on Council-related matters.

Please feel free to contact me on 0455 532 006 to raise an issue, or reach out via the City’s website (geelongaustralia.com.au), phone (03 5272 5272), email ([email protected]) or the City app.

Cr Eddy Kontelj

Brownbill Ward, City of Greater Geelong