Tamworth Regional Playground

Design Feature

Type of project
Playground
State
New South Wales
Location
Regional
The award-winning Tamworth Regional Playground is centrally located in the heart of Tamworth’s Central Business District. The playground, implemented in 2015, has set a new standard among regional New South Wales community parks through its emphasis on community engagement. It has achieved this by ensuring the inclusion of all abilities and age groups in the design of the community facility. The innovative space includes a café and restaurant, outdoor fitness facilities, large open green spaces, and a 9.1 metre high Skywalk, with three giant slides and four towers. It is the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The playground has become a source of pride for residents and an attractive destination for visitors to the regional town.
Enjoyment for all ages
In 2008, Tamworth Regional Council recognised the community’s need for an outdoor recreational space, suitable for children and adults. This priority was further supported in the ‘Riverside Parklands Issues and Options Paper’ (2008) and the ‘Fitzroy Street and Bicentennial Park Concept Master Plan’ (2009). Following the prioritisation of the project, Council began to develop, design and fund the Tamworth Regional Playground, in consultation with the community, to be completed in 2015. 

The entire project was constructed without using funding from ratepayers. It was delivered through a Category 3 Infrastructure Grant from the Office of Liquor and Gaming, the sale of a nearby park area, donations and voluntary labor from community members, businesses and contractors. While the sale of the nearby park was initially controversial, the concerns have predominantly been alleviated upon completion of the playground.
The integration of technology was a key aspect of the project planning phase, as the playground forms part of the region’s first ‘smart’ precinct in a joint pilot project between Tamworth Regional Council and Telstra. The precinct uses the latest technology for lighting, parking and waste monitoring. 

Visitors to the park can enjoy free Wi-Fi, smart lighting that moves into an ambient state with no activity, then activates completely once motion is detected, a CCTV network, a duress button for user safety, sensors in waste facilities, allowing more accurate waste removal scheduling and data collection. The parking area also sensors in the pavement and off-street parking, providing real-time data on the availability of parking spaces, which is linked to LED signage for the convenience of visitors. 
The playground features interactive play and health zones which provide infrastructure to meet the recreation, health and wellbeing needs of the local and regional communities, addressing social outcomes and creating active and passive zones to suit all ages.

Playground features include:
  • Outdoor Gym - Fitness facilities with 13 unique stations, suitable for all fitness levels.
  • Bike Track - Providing a safe area for children to ride their bikes and scooters.
  • Splash Pad - Children can cool off after a play session with a walk through the Splash Pad, which shoots water at all angles, providing a visual and sensory experience.
  • Play Town - A miniature world for children, complete with a pretend petrol station and bank.
  • Mammoth Swing - A soft seated area that swings in all directions, suitable for all ages.
  • Carousel, Wheelchair Accessible - the Carousel allows wheelchairs to be locked into place, and includes additional seating for 3 to 4 children.
  • Young Adult Play Zone - Featuring a 3D climbing adventure that tests children's strength and coordination, as well as a climber with slide, Tightrope Bridge, Boogie Board and spinner. Teen Tube - A sheltered tunnel shaped structure with seating, which features a speaker and Bluetooth connectivity. • Junior Play Zone - Featuring an arch swing and a smart play area for younger children to explore.
  • Sand Play - Including multiple spring rides, sand diggers and a pretend sand factory.
  • Flying Fox - A seated flying fox is situated above soft fall flooring.
  • Skywalk - The first of its kind in Regional Australia, measuring over 9 metres tall and boasts a 13 metre slide.

Project team
  • Tamworth Regional Council
  • Ghazal Zolghadr, Surfacing Designer
  • Play by Design, Landscape Architect
  • Synthetic Grass and Rubber Surfaces Australia, Provider

Project Cost
$2.2 Million
Health Value
  • Increased opportunity for leisure time physical activity, for children and adults in the playground and outdoor fitness space. This allows community members who previously would not have had access to fitness facilities to improve their health and well-being.
  • Play-zones designed to help children develop motor skills including balance, coordination and cognitive skills such as problem solving.
  • The green open space and bird watching activities encourage children to undertake physical activity and engage in outdoor activities, outside of the home.

Economic value
  • The playground is an important addition to the Tamworth’s amenities, making the region more attractive to residents and visitors.
  • The precinct provides ongoing employment opportunities for the unemployed through a partnership with Best Employment. The agreement creates the opportunity for two people to conduct work on the facility two days each week. Employees also benefit from this work experience, which assists them in attaining a Certificate II in Horticulture.
  • Through developing its first public-private partnership, Council allowed a private organisation to design and construct a restaurant in the heart of the facility. This partnership led to the construction of a vibrant restaurant and café, which serves as a meeting place and hosts events and functions. The restaurant employs 33 staff and generates $32,000 in wages and supplier revenue each week, which further boosts the local economy.
  • Weekly local grower markets utilise the exposure of the playground and adjoining precinct.

Environmental Value
  • The playground is landscaped with low maintenance plants and large turfed areas, reducing runoff and sediment deposits due to the undulating topography of the site. In total, 6 kilometres of turf were laid and 150 trees, 200 shrubs and 900 native grasses were planted.
  • All irrigation operates on bore water, using a fully automated irrigation software program. Irrigation outputs consist of drip lines in the garden beds and pop up sprinklers in the open areas to optimise efficiency and reduce excess surface water.
  • The dedicated birdwatching walk, which integrates the visual search for local birds and the ability to share findings via social media, educates children on native wildlife and encourages them to enjoy and participate in environmental activities.

Social value
  • A key aim of the project was to create a space suitable for the use of the entire community, including its culturally and linguistically diverse groups. Written feedback, provided by the Chairman of Tamworth Multicultural Inc, states that the new facility has helped members of the multicultural community feel more included.
  • Community events, such as the annual ‘Westpac Helicopter Colour Run’, are hosted at the playground.
  • The café attracts a series of ‘Sunday Sessions’ including prominent artists and other creative community leaders. These sessions have proven to be very successful and will be an ongoing fixture of the playground.
  • The integration of smart technology provides access to free Wi-Fi for the community, a safe recreational hub and allows Council to maximise operating efficiencies.

Use value
  • Early in the project, Council prioritised community inclusion and accessibility. As a part of this commitment, Council surveys have indicated a consistent figure of 1000 visitors per week, more than 90 of which are members of multicultural communities.
  • The Wheelchair Accessible Carousel allows children and adults of all abilities to participate in group play.
  • The Tamworth Regional Playground provides an important asset to residents and visitors, providing a platform for the community to engage, socialise and be active.

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