Hervey Bay Esplanade playground to close permanently

The playground at Apex Park on the Hervey Bay Esplanade in Pialba will be permanently closed, with selected equipment to be relocated to the Booral Community Park later this year.

Fraser Coast Regional Councillor David Lee said a large colony of flying foxes regularly use Apex Park as a roosting site, which meant the playground had to be closed for extended periods.

“The canopy of a large Ficus tree covers the playground at Apex Park and it needs to be closed when flying foxes are roosting as their droppings foul the play area,” he said.

“These droppings can contain germs that can cause illnesses, and the safety of the community –particularly our workers who need to clean the equipment - must be paramount.

“Council cannot keep opening and closing the playground so has made the decision to relocate playground equipment to the Booral Community Park in Oslove Drive.

“The fence will also be removed and the area under the large Ficus tree canopy mulched out.

“Work to dismantle the playground equipment will start this week and take about four weeks to complete. The process to remove the play equipment involves a lot of hand work to protect the Ficus tree roots.”

Cr Lee said the Fraser Coast was home to three different species of flying fox, all of which were protected by law.

“The population of the colony can vary from a few thousand Black flying foxes to hundreds of thousands of Little Red flying foxes. Occasionally, the numbers can reach up to a million,” he said.

“Council will not undertake any actions aimed at the disturbance or relocation of flying fox roosts, in accordance with our Statement of Management Intent for Flying-fox roost management.”

Cr Lee said Council was investing in new and improved parks and playgrounds, with the development of SplashSide in Maryborough, and upgrades to the All Abilities Playground, Dayman Park and The Pines Park in Hervey Bay.

“Our parks and playgrounds play an important role in ensuring we have an active and healthy community on the Fraser Coast,” he said.

Learn more about our local parks and gardens here -  https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/parks-gardens-1