Riverway All Abilities Playground (Thuringowa Central)
- Council:
- Townsville City Council
- Playground location:
- Pioneer Park, Riverway, Village Boulevard, Thuringowa
- Size:
- 400m2
- Council contact:
- Design and Development Manager Lucilla Marshall on (07) 4773 8702
More information about the Riverway All Abilities Playground is available from the Townsville City Council website.
Site background
Playground site: Riverway
The vibrant Riverway precinct is located on the banks of the Ross River. It stretches for 11 kilometres from Pioneer Park to the Ross River Dam, and offers a combination of environmental, residential, commercial, cultural, sporting and leisure facilities.
The site has been transformed in recent years to now include two large swimming lagoons, a performing arts centre, a 3.5 kilometre river-walk loop, an open air amphitheatre, a 10,000-capacity sports stadium and parklands set amongst magnificent rain trees.
The addition of an all abilities play space to the Riverway precinct will enable all children, both with and without a disability, to play together and enjoy all that the premier recreational hub offers.
Planning and design
Council landscape designer Kylie Jaques puts the finishing touches on a playground model
The Riverway All Abilities Playground project kicked off with two on-site community workshops in March 2008. The workshops attracted about 50 participants, of varied ages, keen to have their say on the playground's planning and design.
A community committee was then established to help guide the creation of the play space. The committee included members of The Umbrella Network, a group consisting of parents and family members of children with a disability.
A wide range of activities were then held to capture the community's views and aspirations for the park, including:
- group and one-to-one consultations with key stakeholders, including The Umbrella Network, local school students, disability groups, sporting clubs, council parks and community services officers, and park users in general
- a number of focus groups and ongoing consultation with local health professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists
- a display at the former DSQ's state launch of Disability Action Week at Riverway on 13 September 2008, which attracted enquiries and feedback from more than 150 people.
In total, more than 250 local residents have been active participants in the planning and design of the Riverway All Abilities Playground, with more residents set to take part during its construction phase.
The involvement of The Umbrella Network, children themselves and local health specialists has been particularly insightful in relation to the needs of children. The hard work and dedication of this group, and all those who participated, is evident in the play space's final design plans.
"We are not experts, social workers or therapists — but mums, dads, grandparents and carers who believe that our children can 'reach for the stars' and achieve their dreams" — Angie D'Arcy, President of The Umbrella Network
Final design
The Riverway All Abilities Playground design centres on creating play experiences for all children by breaking down some of the barriers which prevent children from playing freely.
Shaped by the ideas and visions of the community, and inspired by the region's flora and fauna, the design includes:
- a lily pad entrance
- turtle hopscotch
- a story-time area which will initially feature illustrations depicting a crocodile and turtle adaptation of the Three Billy Goats Gruff fairytale.
Other elements include:
- a sound play area featuring musical posts in a treble chef layout
- a sensory garden
- open play areas
- a sand play area
- an obstacle course
- a tree house with binoculars and game boards.
Soft-fall surfacing, informal seating, drinking fountains and easy access to Riverway's amenities also help to ensure the 400-square-metre site meets the needs of the entire family.
The playground's design was created by a Townsville City Council team, led by Design and Development Manager Lucilla Marshall.
Construction and opening
Construction on the Riverway All Abilities Playground commenced in May 2009 and wrapped up in October 2009.
Official opening celebrations, themed Turtles Picnic, will be held on Saturday 14 November, from 10am-12noon. The event will feature an official opening reception, followed by fun activities in the park. All welcome.
For more information, call council on 4727 9000 or contact Parks Services.
Last reviewed: 11 November 2009