A spatter of rain did nothing to deter dozens of kids from fighting it out for ‘‘first dibs’’ on the new playground equipment in Wollongong’s Stuart Park.
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The $360,000 playground, which was officially opened on Thursday, contains an 8.6 metre high SkyTower, complete with three giant slides spouting off it.
The huge tower, one of the largest of its kind nationally, proved a hit with youngsters, along with the two flying foxes, a double gyro for spinning, swinging and bouncing, and a learn-to-ride cycle track with road signs.
The popular play spot’s makeover is the latest in a series of playground revamps across the Wollongong local government area.
Last financial year, Wollongong City Council spent more than $1.5 million renewing and replacing several key playgrounds across the city, including the ‘‘regional playgrounds’’ at Thirroul and Towradgi.
Another $1 million is set to be spent this financial year on play space refurbishments at Austinmer, Dapto, Otford and Brownsville.
More than 150 kids were heavily involved in the planning of the new Wollongong space, also a ‘‘regional playground’’, offering up a ‘‘wish list’’ of design elements for the park.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said he was certain the Stuart Park playground, particularly the new SkyTower, would produce a few wide-eyed littlies.
“Over the past few years, the council has been reinvesting in our much-used community playgrounds,’’ he said.
‘‘Stuart Park is one of the most used parks in our city.
‘‘It now provides the newest regional play space where children and their families can enjoy many different play experiences, from the SkyTower to a network of smaller paths that children on their bikes or scooters can zip around, following the safety signs, of course.”
