Any council that moved to cut the number or quality of kids’ playgrounds would quickly find out about the special place these facilities hold in people’s hearts.
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Wollongong City Council has 151 playgrounds scattered from Helensburgh to Dapto, from major structures at Towradgi and Stanwell Park to smaller ones dotted throughout the suburbs.
It is the smaller ones that appear to be in the sights of the council’s citizens panel, as it seeks ways to save money.
The panel’s report has been released for public comment before the council decides how to proceed.
Under ‘‘service level changes’’, anticipated to save $4.35 million, the panel’s report recommends: ‘‘Playgrounds – move towards improved centralised facilities rather than lots of little ones.’’
It aims for a ‘‘minimum 10per cent reduction across 151 playgrounds based on utilisation, location and condition’’, identifying a saving of $105,000.
Another recommendation of the panel suggests small parks should be sold. It says: ‘‘Parks – divest in small parks – reduce number by 10per cent based on utilisation, location.’’
But as a visit to Todd Park at Cordeaux Heights on Thursday showed, it is often these smaller playgrounds and parks that residents feel most attached to.
‘‘I’m an advocate for keeping them all open,’’ said Horacio Rodriguez, who goes to the park several times a week with his son Jordan, 11.
‘‘It’s really an aside from going home and sitting in front of the TV.
‘‘Any opportunity to stop in for a few minutes, we do.’’
Miranda Guarnaccia, who lives just up the road, said: ‘‘This one’s so popular.
‘‘It’s just a lot of socialising and kids interacting with other kids.
‘‘My son learned how to ride his bike here.’’
Citizens panel member Nicola Stanistreet said the panel did not want to close playgrounds, but change the way they were managed.
She said the recommendation put forward by the panel would mean that playgrounds should not be ‘‘replaced’’ as often as they were now.
Ms Stanistreet said that for safety reasons, playgrounds were replaced ‘‘much sooner’’ than other council assets and did not need to be replaced that often. And she said no playgrounds should be allowed to fall into such disrepair that they were unsafe.
To read the panel’s full report and express your opinion on it, go online to haveyoursaywollongong.com.au and follow the ‘‘securing our future’’ link.
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