Background

Vin Heffernan Reserve Playground is a small nature play area in Heidelberg Heights. It sits between Haig Street and Bonar Street and is surrounded by townhouses. We plan to update the playground in 2026 and want your ideas now to help design the new space.

Right now, the playground has timber play equipment like a big open play fort, balance beam, climbing poles and carvings of wombats and echidnas. It is part of a path network, with seats, plants and trees around it, and is very close to nearby homes.

Because it is a small nature play area, the upgrade will include one or two timber play pieces and will be designed for local children. It mainly serves families within a 400-metre walk.

For open space classifications refer to the Parks and Open Spaces homepage.

Thank you for your local knowledge and ideas for the nature play renewal. Tell us what you think of the draft nature play concept.

A new playground for Vin Heffernan Reserve

The draft playground concept reflects local knowledge and ideas shared with us during Stage 1 engagement in mid-2025. Your feedback told us that Vin Heffernan Reserve playground is important and well used by the community.

View 'what we heard' during Stage 1 community engagement below.

Proposed design

The nature play renewal aims to provide a place for local community to play and connect to the natural environment.

The main elements of the draft nature play concept are:

1. Play for a variety of ages

1.1 Basket swing
1.2 Timber and rope obstacle course
1.3 Sandpit under existing teepee
1.4 Relocation of existing native animal sculptures

2. New path connection

3. Garden bed hoop fencing

4. Garden beds with native and exotic planting.

Please note: The numbers for the key features match the numbers shown on the draft playground plan below.

Get involved

Share your thoughts on the draft nature play concept for Vin Heffernan Reserve until 30 November 2025.

Stage 1 engagement

Community engagement

Thank you to everyone who shared their local knowledge and ideas about Vin Heffernan Reserve.

54 people shared their local knowledge from 25 August 2025 to 12 September 2025:

  • 31 people completed an online survey
  • 11 people dropped a pin on a map to share how they use the space
  • 7 adults and 5 children attended a pop-up conversation at the playground on 6 September 2025.
  • 19 four-year-old kinder children drew what they wanted the park to be.

We heard that the reserve is a valued and a well-used community space.

View the Findings Report Summary.

Your favourite things about the park:

  • Usability

    The playground is popular with toddlers.

  • A meeting place

    Proximity and community. The park is a community meeting place and rest point, providing a space to meeting with friends and family.

  • Some elements of the park

    The lawn and open spaces, including path network.

Key focus areas

You highlighted three key focus areas for improvement, which has guided the development of the draft nature play concept:

  • The nature play is popular however limited. Some traditional pieces of equipment are desired to improve the play value over a broader age demographic.
  • Delineation between the open space and path network from the playground.
  • Improved lawn area.

Stage 1 social map

View below what the community told us during Stage 1 community engagement