Released 25/07/2017
Work has started on two new natural play spaces in Tuggeranong Town Park and Finn Street in O’Connor, with a third to get underway in coming weeks at Telopea Park in Barton.
Minister for Planning and Land Management Mick Gentleman said the new natural play spaces will provide opportunities for creative free play for local children.
“These play spaces are great for local suburbs as they are a great use of public space and encourage kids to be active,” Minister Gentleman said.
“The new natural play spaces will use primary elements from the landscape such as sand, logs and rocks to encourage children to climb, jump, explore and have fun.
Member for Brindabella Joy Burch said she was pleased Tuggeranong residents would be the first to enjoy their new natural play environment.
“The Tuggeranong play spaces have been designed for children aged three to eight, and include play elements such as sloping log balance beams, stepping stones, circuits with logs and boulders for maze-like play, totem poles with sound features and ‘ochre pots’ for painting and making mud pies. I’m sure Tuggeranong kids are going to love it,” Ms Burch said.
Minister Gentleman said the play space in O’Connor would be an outdoor classroom, featuring rock seating and semicircular turf terraces to create a natural amphitheatre.
“Once completed, the Finn Street play space will also include loose parts such as sticks, rocks, logs and other natural elements that the children can use to build and create. Additional trees and plants will also be provided to form natural goal posts and add different textures to the environment to engage children’s sense of touch,” Minister Gentleman concluded.
The three natural play spaces will be open in mid 2017. To find out more about the imaginative elements of these three natural play spaces, visit www.tccs.act.gov.au. For more information on nature play in Canberra, visit www.natureplaycbr.org.au.
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Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases