Hervey Bay All Abilities Playground upgraded
The focus was on the Seafront Oval precinct on the Hervey Bay Esplanade today for the Fraser Coast celebrations marking International Changing Places Awareness Day on July 19.
The Fraser Coast Regional Council hosted a community breakfast in the parklands near the Changing Places toilets built beside the All Abilities Playground.
“As part of the celebrations, Council showcased the new equipment in the $185,000 revamped All Abilities Playground,” Cr Jade Wellings said.
“The previous playground equipment, which was installed in 2011, had reached the end of its useful life and needed replacing.
“The new equipment was selected in consultation with the Inclusive Access Advisory Committee and students and staff of the Hervey Bay Special School and the traditional owners of the Fraser Coast, the Butchulla People.
“The specialised play equipment was selected to ensure children and adults of all abilities have adequate options within the playground. It will further enhance inclusive and accessible play within the All Abilities Playground.”
The playground revamp included the installation of:
- Wheelchair accessible trampoline, seesaw, tai chi wheel, hand water pump and sand digger;
- Sand play including a sand hoist, shovels and tunnel with dinosaur fossil digging elements;
- Sensory pathway and garden with musical instruments, illusion mirrors and photo panel, and;
- Two shade structures over existing table and seat settings.
The Changing Places facility between the All Abilities Playground and the Adventure Playground, was the second to be opened on the Fraser Coast with the first opened in Anzac Park in Maryborough.
A Changing Places facility allows people with high support needs to fully participate in the community and provides for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.
This may include people with an acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, and motor neurone disease, as well as many other people with a disability.
Changing Places facilities provide:
- a height-adjustable adult-sized change table
- a constant-charging ceiling track hoist system
- a centrally-located peninsula toilet
- circulation spaces as defined in the design specifications
- an automatic door with a clear opening of 950 mm at a minimum (1100 mm for beach and lake locations)
- a privacy screen.
Changing Places was launched in the United Kingdom in 2006 and has spread across the world.
The first Changing Places in Australia opened at Ringwood Lake in 2014 and there are now 213 Changing Places across Australia.
The Hervey Bay Changing Places facility was funded through the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program while the Maryborough facility was funded through the State Government’s Works for Queensland program.
“These facilities ensure that the Fraser Coast is a caring, sharing and inclusive community and lives up to our motto of Building Better Communities Together,” Cr Wellings said.
“The revamp of the All Abilities Playground ensures that the community facilities in the Seafront Oval Precinct at Pialba is accessible for everyone and continues to be a drawcard for the region.”