Thank you for your feedback on Stage 2 - draft concept design for Weidlich Road Reserve playground. The design was well received by the community and they felt it targeted their needs.

Some discussion points from your feedback were:

Basketball Court: Community members were pleased to see the basketball court has been included in the final design. The basketball court will feature a sound reduction backboard and also include a netball ring.

Exercise equipment: Exercise equipment was not part of the scope for this playground replacement project so is unable to be included.

Tree planting: Tree planting will be included to provide more natural shade to the space.

Weidlich Road playground is a local play space. While we understand that shade is an important element in playground design, shade sails in local play spaces are not feasible due to budget, maintenance and safety considerations. Please view our statement on provision for shade in playgrounds on our landing page under the design principles tab.

Construction of Weidlich Road Reserve playground is scheduled to be completed May 2024.

We look forward to delivering this play space for the local community.

Community engagement

From August - September 2023, we consulted with community and received great community feedback for the renewal of Weidlich Road Reserve playground.

35 people provided feedback through an online survey and emails directly to the Open Space Planning Team. Thank you for your comments and suggestions about the space.

From the design options provided, climbing equipment was the most popular and has been incorporated into the design.

View the final concept design to see how your feedback was incorporated.

Some important points:

• Basketball court: We received a large number of responses requesting a basketball court. A basketball court has been proposed in the design including a netball post. A concrete path will connect the playground and basketball area.
• Tree planting: Tree planting will be included as part of the playground replacement to provide more natural shade to the space. The embankment around the playground will be landscaped to improve the space.

We will provide a play space with a new and improved area to meet the needs of the local community.

The new playground will include:

• A new playground unit
• Seating
• Swings

As part of the improvement works for Weidlich Road Reserve playground, we have undertaken a detailed site analysis. The site analysis helps us determine the opportunities and constraints for the project and helps the Open Space and Planning team develop a concept that aligns with the project budget, the playground classifications, Public Open Space Plan 2016-2031 and Council initiatives to provide Local Play Networks and Play Diversity (see definitions below).

Key considerations for Weidlich Road Reserve playground are:

• Seating and access - provide better seating to the play space and improve seating opportunities.
• Landscaping and shade - providing additional trees for increased shade.

Our intention is to provide a play space with a new and improved area to meet the needs of the local community.

Weidlich Road Reserve is a medium reserve located in Eltham North. The reserve contains open lawn areas, a playground and multiple trees.

This parks is classified as a local play space as outlined in playground classifications of our Public Open Space Plan 2016-2031. The park connects Weidlich Road to Progress Road with a winding path down the slope and the play space is located towards the Progress Road entry.

Parks classified as local play spaces are usually small playgrounds, catering for residents living within 400 metres. The playgrounds include one-two items of play equipment for a limited age group.

The playground is well used by local families. We are excited to continue to provide a high-quality playground experience at Weidlich Road Reserve and would like your help to re-imagine the park for current and future users.

1. Play Networks: where there are several pocket or local playgrounds located within walking distance of each other, Council will endeavour to create a local play network by strengthening connection between playgrounds.
2. Play Diversity: Council will work towards providing a complete range of play experiences in each precinct. When designing, upgrading or replacing playgrounds, we will give consideration to the types of play experiences already available in the neighbourhood and include play experiences currently not available locally.