How are playground upgrades prioritised and what determines the extent of upgrades?
Playground upgrades are carried out according to Council’s Playground Development Plan (1998, currently being updated 2008/2009). The plan prioritises upgrades according to demographics (using the most recent Census figures), the age and extent of existing facilities in an area and playground classifications. Playgrounds are classified as regional, district or local, defined as follows: • Regional: Serving more than one local government area where users will be prepared to drive significant distances. • District: Typically attracting visitors from one local government area where users will normally not drive more than 15-30 minutes. • Local: Catering to a local area where users predominantly walk or cycle to use the facility. The number of pieces of play equipment is also dependent on the space available for the layout of equipment to be designed so that there is a suitable safe “fall zone” around each piece, and travel paths are free from obstruction.
