The City of Greater Bendigo has developed a concept plan for the renewal of the Lake Weeroona Play Space and is encouraging the community to have their say on the plan until Monday September 21, 2020.
City of Greater Bendigo Parks and Open Space Manager Paul Gangell said the Lake Weeroona Play Space is one of the City’s most popular and well used play spaces and the renewal is a key action of the City’s Lake Weeroona Master Plan 2011.
“This play space was constructed in 1988 and as this facility is now more than 30 years old the time has come to build a new play space at the site to continue to entertain new generations of young people for the next 20 years,” Mr Gangell said.
“Earlier this year, the City carried out community consultation to find out what people wanted to see in a new play space. The consultation generated many responses and demonstrated the community’s love for the existing space.
“Through the consultation the community told us they liked the fact it was fenced and they also like the maze-like structure with multiple pathways and slides. The most common ideas to improve the play space included creating junior and senior play zones, providing more seating, shade and nature and water play.
“This important feedback has now been incorporated into an exciting concept plan and the City is again asking the community for their comments to make sure we have got it right.”
The concept plan features:
- Retention of the secure fence around the play space but with a slightly bigger footprint than the existing space.
- Junior and senior play zones with play equipment for all ages and abilities and a variety of seating options. The two zones are separated by a central lawn area to provide opportunities for supervision of the surrounding activities.
- A water play area to provide cooling water sprays in the hotter months and a quieter seating area in the colder months.
- An accessible ramp running from the north heading south to provide access to the junior play zone and ending in two taller towers. The ramp will incorporate the existing Peppercorn tree and provide a shaded treehouse space. As the ramp gets higher it can be accessed by more climbing nets with tunnels and swings installed underneath.
- The two towers will provide views over the play space, lake and reserve. The highest tower will have several longer slides coming off it and will provide access to a large climbing net.
- Various swinging options including a basket swing will be included across the site.
- A nature play area next to the junior play zone for quieter experiences.
- Two entrances one in the north (closer to the picnic shelter) and the other in the south (closer to the toilet facility)
- Installation of shade sails and trees and shrubs to provide relief in the hotter weather.
- The City is also proposing to construct a new welcome plaza zone located between the play space and the car park where people can congregate in a naturally shaded seating area near the food and drink vans.
Residents can view the draft concept plan online at www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/lakeweeroona and provide any comments up until 5pm on Monday September 21. Or they can email comments or any questions to [email protected]
The City is also holding an online information session at 3pm on Saturday September 12. Anyone wanting to attend this session can email [email protected] and the City will send them an email invitation to attend.
The City will incorporate the feedback received about the draft concept plan into the detailed design of the play space. This process is expected to commence in October 2020. When funding for the project is secured, it is hoped that construction will start in late 2021 or early 2022.
