Redevelopment plan

• Will the new playground attract more visitors and create parking and traffic difficulties?

• We hope the new playground brings joy to many Melbourne families, especially children living with disability. Our experience is that all playgrounds will attract an initial surge of interest when first opened but then will revert to mainly local use. Keep in mind also that the netball courts are moving to their new location in Sandringham so traffic in the area will be reduced greatly, especially on Saturdays.

• Will there be a dog off-leash area in the park?

• This has not been part of the scope of this project. However a Bayside-wide dog off-leash study is currently underway to look at opportunities for dogs to roam free. Thomas Street Park South is an on-leash park. In all Bayside parks, dogs must be kept on a lead within 20 meters of a playground. The new playspace will not be fully enclosed. The current arrangement where the main fencing is on the Thomas Street boundary will remain.

• Will the toilet be improved?

• The current toilet block will be replaced with a new, larger facility better suited to the needs of kids and parents of all abilities.

• Why isn't a basketball or netball half court included in the new design?

• We listened to everyone’s feedback and tried to cater to everyone’s wish list. We felt there are other basketball and netball practice areas close by and there are so many exciting elements to this proposed playspace, there really is something for everyone, including parkour for older kids and teenagers. In planning for the future of the netball site, we’ll aim to include things like a tennis wall and basketball half court. Sorry to disappoint you!

• What is planned for the netball court site? Will it be apartments?

• The future use of the netball courts will be determined by extensive community consultation. It will be retained for community use and will not be developed into apartments.

• What is there for older children and teenagers?

• The castle and eyrie provide for lots of challenging climbing. There’s a parkour area to test agility. The flying fox is likely to be a favourite, and then there’s the DJ desk in the Minstrel area, where you can plug your phone in and play music. <see also comment on half court>

Building the playground

• What will happen to the old fort?

• Unfortunately much of the old fort is made from treated pine which has limited, safe reusability. The timber that cannot be re-purposed in the new playground will be disposed of in an environmentally sensitive way.

• Are you re-purposing any of the equipment from the old fort/playground?

• Yes we are using the turrets from the old fort as features to the entrances and perimeter fencing. Where possible, we will also re-use the timber that is still in good condition for various elements in the new design.

• Will the old fort be in use until the new playground is built?

• Unfortunately much of the old fort is made from treated pine which has limited, safe reusability. The timber that cannot be re-purposed in the new playground will be disposed of in an environmentally sensitive way.

• How long will it take to build the new playground?

• The new playground is expected to be completed by early 2021.

• When will the old fort be demolished?

• Demolition of the old fort is planned for mid 2020.

Inclusiveness

• What parts of the playground can be enjoyed by a child in a wheelchair?

• Wheelchair accessible items include:

  • in-ground wheelchair trampolines
  • castle – the ground floor includes discovery, communication and dexterity elements
  • Swayfun - rocking boat that can accommodate a person in a wheelchair with friends
  • carousel
  • flying fox (fitted with harness clip)
  • sandpit
  • musical area – including sound pads in the paving to roll over
  • eyrie - ground floor activities
  • circuit path
  • boardwalk through casuarinas
• Why isn’t the playground going to include a wheelchair/Liberty swing?

• In planning the Thomas Street playground, the inclusion and safety issues involved with wheelchair swings were extensively considered and debated. Because of the combined weight of person + wheelchair+ metal swing platform and the potential momentum of the swing, there is a risk that if a child or adult runs in front of the swing when it’s in use they could be seriously injured. As many parents know, this is a risk with any swing, but the additional weight with a wheelchair swing increases the consequence of the risk.

  In Australia, a wheelchair swing like a Liberty Swing can only be incorporated in the playground if secured with a lock and fenced. This raises questions about its inclusiveness, as it can only then be used by people in a wheelchair and is physically separated by being fenced off from the rest of the playground. Many parents and disability advocates have concerns about children with a disability being segregated and fenced off from other children using a playground.

  The Liberty Swing was developed in a time when there was little consideration of disability access needs in playgrounds, and was seen as a way of adding something to existing playgrounds for children in wheelchairs. Playground design has come a long way in the last two decades, with the emphasis now on all children playing together on a wide range of equipment.

• Why is there an unfenced Liberty swing in Birrarung Marr?

• An unfenced Liberty Swing is in place at Art Play, in Birrarung Marr adjacent to Federation Square, where its positioning at the rear of the playground abutting a car parking building allows it to be unfenced, though the swing mechanism is locked. Some accessible facilities in Australia use a lock that can be accessed using a Master Locksmiths Access Key (MLAK), available to families with a member with disability.

• What is a Swayfun?

• A Swayfun is a rocking device shaped a bit like a boat, that can accommodate a number of people playing together and allows a person in a wheelchair to enjoy rocking and swaying motion. The Swayfun does not need to be fenced. https://www.inclusiveplaygrounds.net/sway-fun.html.