Glenbrook District Park Playground – Stage 2

Today the barriers have come down to reveal the much anticipated new inclusive playspace and we would love for you to visit!

The upgrade is an exciting and diverse play area that caters mainly for seven to twelve year olds and includes:

• A 5.4-metre climbing rope tower with tunnel slide
• A 20-metre double flying fox with two seats including one for smaller children or those needing support
• Five additional swings including a multi person nest swing for those who need back support
• Two trampolines, one large enough for a wheelchair
• Monkey bars
• Timber balance trail
• Extra shading and soft fall rubber
• A range of sensory and imagination stimulating components
• Accessible pathways
• Refurbished picnic tables and shelters
• New seating and tree plantings
• Recycled elements that continue the transport theme of the junior play area.

Inclusive elements for children and their carer’s living with disabilities include the flying fox, trampoline, a gong, a nest swing and quiet areas.

The rain has pushed the time frame back slightly but we are expecting the new play space to be completed by the end of February 2021.

We are looking forward to the upgrade starting on Monday, 9 November. When you are next in Glenbrook village, you may see the construction fencing up near the junior play space. The junior play space will remain open with temporary gates and two entry points, during the works.

You can also still walk from the village centre through to the public toilets and Glenbrook Cinema during the upgrade. The public toilets will remain available to use and the public parking is unaffected.

Medium to heavy rigid vehicles will move along Ross St and Park St to the construction zone and there will be traffic control for those vehicles when they exit the worksite. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Work hours during the project will be 7am to 5pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. The upgrade is expected to be completed by the end of January 2021, weather permitting.

Following extensive input from the community, brand new features will soon be added to Glenbrook District Park Playground.

This major upgrade, in addition to the junior playground built in 2018, is an inclusive new play space for seven to 12 year olds. It includes a:

• 5.4-metre climbing rope tower with tunnel slide
• 20-metre double flying fox with two seats including one for smaller children or those needing support
• five additional swings including a multi-person nest swing for those who need back support
• two trampolines, large enough for a wheelchair
• monkey bars
• timber balance trail, and
• a range of sensory and imagination-stimulating components.

Last year, we invited the community to have their say on the features they would like to see at the new Glenbrook District Park playground, via a pop-up event and an online tool called the Funbobulator.

Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “I’d like to thank everyone who gave their input into the designs for the new playground. More than 600 people completed our Funbobulator to let us know what they’d like to see. Now those designs are finalised and we’re bringing to life as much as we can within the project budget and timeframe.

“The consultation process was invaluable in helping us determine what the community wanted and needed, and it empowered our community members to play a key part in the decision-making process.

“The upgrade focuses on providing varied play types and experiences, as well as inclusive play. This means we are able to provide more play elements for all children, including those with additional needs.

“This project significantly broadens recreation options for the young people of the Blue Mountains, making Glenbrook Park a great family destination for all ages and abilities.”

The play equipment will be surrounded by soft fall rubber, seating and picnic tables, as well as accessible pathways. There will be extensive shade and new tree plantings, and a new entrance features recycled elements with the old transport theme.

The playground will also be fenced.

The successful tender is currently being finalised and construction of the playground is scheduled to start before the end of 2020.

All four district parks in the Blue Mountains will receive upgrades valued at more than $5.2 million, and funded by the Western Parkland City Liveability Program.

Thank you to all who provided ideas and input for the playspace before the designers got to work.

You told us which site your preferred, how to make the stage 2 playspace accessible and inclusive, and through the funbobulator we heard what play elements you wanted the most.

You can now look at the draft design and comment on the layout, the style and the play elements. We would love to hear from you on what you do and don’t like.

The whole playspace will be fully fenced, which will bring the junior and new senior area together, with a central picnic area dividing the two areas.

The existing trees will be retained and an extra shade structure is provided. Five of the top seven funbobulator play items are proposed to be included. The elements selected are a balance of funbobulator choices, special needs requirements and the budget and site constraints.

Please note that the items actually installed may differ in colour and style (they may not be an exact match to the images provided in the draft document). This will be dependent on what is available from the supplier.

• The draft plans can be viewed in the document library or here.
• Click here to provide comment

We will read and consider all comments and suggestions.

This stage of consultation will close at 5pm on MONDAY 30 September.

Blue Mountains City Council is about to design the second stage of the Glenbrook District Park Playground to cater for older children (aged 7 years and up), their families and carers.

We are seeking input from professionals that work in the service sector that specialise in advocacy, design and the care of children with sensory, social and physical challenges.

This will help us to design an inclusive playground for children of all abilities.

This survey should take around 10 minutes.

Tell us which location option for the Glenbrook District Park Playground – Stage 2 you prefer.

All four district parks in the Blue Mountains will receive upgrades valued at more than $5.2 million, thanks to funding received through the Western Parkland City Liveability Program.

Glenbrook Park will receive a new inclusive, accessible, interactive extension to the play area catering for seven to 12 year olds, valued at $1.07 million. An adventure youth space including tandem flying fox and parkour play element, valued at $1.52 million, will be built at Buttenshaw Park, Springwood. Further upgrades will take place at Wentworth Falls Lake Park valued at $1.75 million, including an outdoor educational pavilion and accessible viewing platform. Meanwhile, a new toilet block connected with new accessible pedestrian pathways, valued at $928,000, will be built at Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park.

Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, said the injection of funds into district parks throughout the City will improve public spaces for residents and visitors.

“These projects, which are concepts at this stage and are about to go through a detailed design process, will take our district parks to another level. This means we will have more accessible and inclusive public park spaces, which have better quality design and amenities, throughout the Blue Mountains.”

Blue Mountains City Council accepted a tender for quantity surveying services for the projects – at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 28 May 2019.

The projects have been funded under the Western Parkland City Liveability Program, which is part of the Western Sydney City Deal (WSCD). The WSCD is a 20 year-agreement between Australian and NSW governments, and the eight local Councils of the Western Parkland City.

Council will be seeking feedback from the Blue Mountains community on detailed design concepts for each of the projects, progressively. It is expected this consultation will begin for each of the projects before the end of 2019.

Glenbrook Park Stage 2 playground – creation of a new inclusive, accessible, interactive play area catering for seven to 12 year olds. This will complement, and provide an exciting extension, to the recently completed junior playground that is well utilised by the community. It will also complete a recreational precinct that caters to all ages.

Buttenshaw Park, Springwood – the unique natural amphitheatre of Buttenshaw Park has led to a topography-led design concept for a youth-focussed adventure playground. The location of the playground, next to Springwood Aquatic and Fitness Centre, will anchor it amongst related uses, creating a recreational precinct benefitting this important district park.

Wentworth Falls Lake Park – the development of an outdoor educational pavilion and shaded landscaped terraces will improve facilities for school groups and community groups. Meanwhile, a new pedestrian bridge, lookouts and connected pathways will improve access and resting places along the northern edge of the lake. They will also form part of an educational journey around the district park.

For more information about the 10 community infrastructure projects underway in the Blue Mountains, as part of the Western Parkland City Liveability Program, go to bmcc.nsw.gov.au.