Splintering wooden platforms and stark metal monkey bars were replaced by primary-coloured plastic structures, which are now being superseded by daring flying-foxes, tower slides and parks which emphasise natural play.

But the biggest changes to Wollongong’s playgrounds are likely to happen in the coming years.

Wollongong City Council is overhauling 155 play spaces through its first-ever “play strategy”, and will be upgrading, replacing, and, in some cases, ripping out lots of equipment between now and 2024.

The strategy was adopted last year, after an audit found vast differences between the quality of playgrounds in different suburbs.

Already, just 18 months in, community services director Greg Doyle believes the plan has been “revolutionary”.

“Basically, we have never actually had a strategic approach to how we plan in this area, and how it links to communities and how these communities are changing,” he said.

“If you look at the playgrounds we’ve put in at Thirroul, Towradgi or Stanwell Park, it has has revolutionised the way kids can play.”

“I think children deserve a multitude of safe places to develop, whether that’s a beach, pool, a park or a play space with equipment that really stretches them.

“All kids from Darkes Forest to Kembla Grange will be able get that through this strategy, and it will be programmed into our budget so it’s guaranteed to happen. 

“As a dad, I find that really cool.”

Sports fields coordinator Jeff Wearing said the council would continue to take a “holistic approach”, making sure each locality had access to quality parks.

This has already taken effect in Wollongong’s southern CBD, where MacCabe park had a $200,000 revamp but the equipment at nearby Pioneer Park – which was under-used and rusting – has just been ripped out.

“This year we’ve identified about six other sites we need to review, but we haven’t made a decision on whether we will update or remove those,” he said.

“And we will always do community consultation before we make these decisions.”

That’s where community development coordinator Tracey Venaglia’s experience talking to kids about exactly what they want comes in.

Already, she’s worked with several schools and pre-schools to come up with ideas for the MacCabe and Stuart Park playgrounds, and has learnt a lot about what young people believe is most important in their parks.

“Talking to kids about what they want really gives us a whole depth of knowlege that we can’t get from data,” Ms Venaglia said.

“And we’re really trying to understand how the community uses each play space – so asking, for example, exactly how kids play in Farmbourough Heights as opposed to Bulli – and if it’s being used to its full potential.”

She said sometimes these talks led to less of a focus on equipment at some parks, as children often preferred natural play areas to structured equipment.

“The other thing we found is that kids are incredibly considerate of other people using the space – their parents, grandparents – so we always get lots of feedback about pathways, shade and seating” Ms Venaglia said.

They also tend to be aware of other children’s needs, and during the planning of Stuart Park’s new regional playground it was the children who made sure the all-abilities swing was close to the other equipment, she said.

“They have a lot of empathy for other people, and that also means we can talk to them about budget and other constraints and we don’t get them asking for unrealistic things – it can be quite sophisticated,” Ms Venaglia said.

“We’re building citizens by helping them to consider all these different things and strike a balance.”

2015/16 RENEWALS