INCLUSIVE FUN FOR ALL

With the creation of inclusive playgrounds a growing endeavour, the newest playspace in Waitara hits all the right notes.

Featuring a collaboratively designed playscape, with accessible play equipment by inclusive play specialist Proludic, Waitara Park incorporates principles of inclusive design and accessibility and features a diverse range of innovative equipment suitable for children of all ages and abilities.

A core aspect of its company philosophy, Proludic is committed to the design and provision of inclusive playgrounds. Proludic’s belief that all children should have access to play facilities that allow them to play together in a safe environment, lies at the centre of its work on the Waitara Park project: a philosophy that aligns with the Everyone Can Play initiative released by the NSW Government in 2019.

Developed by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Everyone Can Play is a best-practice resource utilised by councils, community leaders, architects, designers and contractors, to aid in the development of inclusive playspaces. According to its website: “At the heart of Everyone Can Play is the declaration that play is for everyone — regardless of age, ability or cultural background.” An ethos Proludic is very familiar with.

Part of Hornsby Shire Council’s Waitara Park Plan of Management launched in 2015, the neighbourhood received a new tennis court facility — which doubles as a flood detention basin to help mitigate downstream flooding issues — and a sustainably designed amenities building. Adjacent to these community facilities sits the newly constructed inclusive playground, the development of which benefitted from a $600,000 grant courtesy of the Everyone Can Play initiative.

The fully fenced playground includes shade sails, seating, picnic shelters and barbecues, as well as extensive landscaping, and is grouped into play areas that cater to different age ranges and abilities.

Dominating the Junior play zone is a 7-metre-high Adventure Tower inspired by exotic tropical jungles intended to ignite the imagination. The giant structure includes a towering tube slide, an open kayak slide, a fireman’s pole and myriad climbing challenges. Two inground trampolines and a spinning and rocking Hip Hop, designed to combine motor skill employment and sensory stimulation, complete this area.

Next to the Junior zone, the shaded Toddler play area contains Proludic’s Diabolo Multiplay. This inclusive, ground-based play unit has a ramp for easy access and encourages the development of mobility, fine motor skills and cognitive recognition through an assortment of tactile activities.

Additional elements installed in the playground include Sensory Flowers; Big Twiny Car, which provides access for children in wheelchairs at the rear; Twisty Rotating Disc; and a Tiboo toddlers’ slide, as well as a two-bay swing set with pod seat and inclusive seat.

Access ramps throughout the entire playspace ensure everyone can gain entrance to each play area, so no one is left out, while softfall surfacing provides a safe zone for kids to run wild.

Rounding out the playground’s vibrant, colourful scheme is a series of artworks by local artists from Studio Artes, an art centre dedicated to people with disability. Their brightly rendered works grace the walls of the concrete garden beds that border the playspace and function as handy seating for supervising parents and carers.

An instant success from the time of its opening, Hornsby Shire Mayor Philip Ruddock confirmed, “The upgrade of the Waitara Park Precinct was much-needed and the local and wider community can now enjoy an expanded and improved recreational space.

“This inclusive playspace was carefully designed by Council after extensive consultation with the local community. The new playground looks fantastic and is exciting for kids of different ages and abilities to explore. We are truly proud of the results.”

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PROJECT PARTICULARS
Client Hornsby Shire Council
Location Waitara, NSW
Play Equipment Design, Supply & Install Proludic