The Gloucester community spoke out and MidCoast Council listened.
After months of asking, writing letters and harassing council members, Gloucester residents are going to see a refurbished and upgraded Billabong Park playground.
The perimeter fence was set up and work began on Monday, August 6, with council workers taking the existing play equipment apart piece by piece and shipping them off to be given a new lease on life.
The playground overhaul will be undertaken in two stages.
Stage one will involve the installation of a range of new, modern play equipment including a nest swing, chimes, rotor, carousel and slide, as well as extending the soft-fall area.
“We do anticipate some down-time for this popular play space, but we’ve taken steps to minimise the impact on local families by planning the works to take place during the off-season,” council’s Dan Aldridge explained.
In stage two, the parks team will install a flying fox next to the existing children’s bike track.
All up its expected the area will be closed for around eight weeks, with plans to reopen in time for the October school holidays.
“We are embracing this opportunity to create a modern playground that offers a diverse range of activities for kids of all ages and abilities,” Dan added.
“Additional seating will be installed and a shade sail reinstalled over the swing unit, so the space will be a welcome retreat for local families and visitors to the Gloucester region.”
Billabong Park users are asked to observe signage and keep out of fenced-off areas while the works are undertaken.
This project is part of a progressive rollout of upgrades to play spaces in the Mid Coast region.
