Kids checking out the renewed Browns Bay Reserve playground.
Work is almost complete on the playground at Browns Bay Reserve in Whitby, ensuring it is an area our tamariki can enjoy safely.
The upgrade at the playground, just up from the Postgate Drive roundabout, included replacing old equipment and surfacing, and a new timber boardwalk inset with 12 bells that you stand on to make different tones.
A picnic table and new footpath is still to be completed but the playground is ready to use.
Council Parks Manager Olivia Dovey says the aim is to update all our playgrounds to make sure they are user-friendly for all. There is a programme in place for renewals across the city, over time.
The Council is committed to improving the accessibility of our play spaces for the whole community, by ensuring there are connecting paths to each site where possible.
“We want children of all ages and skills, and parents and grandparents too, to have full confidence in our playgrounds,” Ms Dovey says.
“At Browns Bay the feedback we got from the community was that they liked the existing equipment, like the glide ride, swings and slide, so those have all gone back in, plus we’ve made it easier to access the playground – and the boardwalk is a great addition.
“It’s incredibly satisfying to see tamariki of all ages and abilities out there, enjoying playgrounds across the city. It’s another way we can make Porirua a great place to be outdoors.”
Along with Browns Bay Reserve, Council has renewed the playground at Bodmin Terrace Reserve in Camborne in recent months, and has built a new playground, called Wayfinder Park, on the corner of Navigation Drive and Schooner Drive.
Wayfinder Park has Council’s first expression swing, where parents or older siblings can swing facing a baby or toddler. The front of the reserve is fenced off due to infrastructure works but the play space is completely usable.
Earlier this year, Council also opened Bedford Reserve, a space in Cannons Creek that was designed and developed in conjunction with our tamariki and Partners Porirua.
6 Aug 2019
