Pocket parks are very small public open spaces for people living nearby. Most people visit for a short time, usually around 15 minutes. They may include a small playground with one or two pieces of play equipment and are usually accessed on foot.

Local parks are small parks that people can usually walk to from home. They are designed to serve residents living within about 400 metres of the park. Most visits last up to 30 minutes. These parks may include a small playground with one or two pieces of play equipment for children and families living nearby.

Neighbourhood parks are larger parks that serve a suburb or several neighbourhoods within a suburb. People are often willing to travel 5 to 15 minutes to visit and may spend an hour or more there. They usually include medium to large playgrounds with equipment for a range of ages and abilities and are designed to meet the needs of a wider community than local parks.

Regional parks are large parks that serve people from across Banyule and surrounding areas. They often attract visitors from neighbouring councils.

These parks usually include large, destination playgrounds and a full range of facilities, such as toilets, drinking fountains, shelters, seating, picnic tables, bins and parking. They are designed for people of all ages and abilities.

People are often willing to drive or cycle for 15 minutes or more to visit a regional park and may spend several hours there.

Every site is assessed to identify its unique features, including its size, slope, orientation, tree cover, existing facilities and proximity to nearby properties.

This assessment helps us understand the opportunities and challenges of the site and develop a design that fits its surroundings and works well with nearby facilities such as toilets, paths, pavilions and sportsgrounds.

Parks and reserves are classified as pocket, local, neighbourhood or regional parks. These classifications help guide planning, design and budgeting decisions.

Council has invested in several regional play spaces, including Possum Hollow in Heidelberg, Binnak Park in Watsonia North, Malahang Reserve in Heidelberg West and Anthony Beale Reserve in St Helena.

All other parks and reserves in Banyule are classified as pocket, local or neighbourhood parks and are planned and funded accordingly.

We look at playgrounds and play opportunities within approximately 500 metres of the site to understand what is already available.

This helps us create designs that complement nearby facilities and provide a wider range of play experiences for children and families of different ages and abilities.

Community feedback tells us that people want playgrounds to include traditional play experiences such as sliding, climbing and swinging, while also providing opportunities for nature play.

As a result, we look for ways to include natural play elements where appropriate, such as logs, stepping logs, large rocks and stone features.

We aim to make playgrounds as accessible as possible. Important considerations include connections to paths, the availability of seating and providing play equipment that can be enjoyed by people of different ages, abilities and mobility levels.

Shade is an important part of playground design and can be provided in different ways.

Shade sails may be used in larger regional play spaces. For pocket, local and neighbourhood parks, maintenance and safety requirements often mean other approaches are more suitable.

These may include:

• retaining mature trees near the playground
• planting new trees to provide future shade
• incorporating roofed or covered areas within the playground where possible.

We carefully assess the quality, materials and construction of playground equipment to ensure it is safe, durable and able to provide enjoyable play experiences over time.

Each year, Council allocates funding for park and playground projects based on the park classification and the value of the existing assets.

This funding helps determine the scope and scale of improvements that can be delivered at each site.