Adventure time awaits! Construction has begun on a new playground at Ella Reserve, Malabar, Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker announced today Wednesday 3 May 2023.
“Ella Reserve is a popular place for the kids of Malabar, and we’re excited to build a new playground that will make this park a more welcoming space for children of all ages and abilities.,” Mayor Dylan Parker said.
There will be major transformations to the existing play areas, which will be expanded to include three new play zones to suit the main needs of the park’s regular visitors: the inclusive play zone, the toddler and junior play zone, and the adventure play zone.
The inclusive play zone will champion accessibility. Easily accessed along a direct footpath at the northern end of the playground, wheelchair users will be able to enjoy fun new play equipment, including an in-ground spinner and a nest swing. Now parkgoers of all abilities will be able to partake in the joy of playtime.
The new toddler and junior play area will be a core feature of the new park, positioned in the centre of the playground. The new equipment will be placed in a sunken and retained area, making it easier for parents to watch their small children.
The adventure play zone caters to the needs of older children. The play zone will feature a 2.5m slide that complements the existing landform, as well as brand new climbing equipment, which has been designed to provide challenge and adventure to the older children who come to the park to play.
Informed by consultations with local residents in mid-2022, the playground will also undergo a range of upgrades, including:
- picnic tables,
- new paving,
- fencing,
- native trees and plants and grassed recreational areas,
- a drinking fountain,
- bike racks,
- and informal sandstone block seating to complement the natural environment.
All play areas will be built on rubber soft-fall in order to protect park goers and additional shade sails will be constructed to increase sun safety over play spaces.
Sustainability was at the forefront of the design process, and so elements of the existing park and play area like rocks and seats will be reused or repurposed in the playground’s new design.
Weather permitting, the project is estimated to be completed by the end of July 2023.
During construction there will be no access to the playground. In the meantime, there are some other playgrounds for use as alternative play areas nearby, including Rubie Reserve Playground and Boulevard Reserve Playground.
For more information visit the Randwick council website: www.randwick.nsw.gov.au
