Safety concerns prompt complete playground replacement

The complete replacement of a playground in Gulf Harbour is expected to cost around $215,000.

The work is part of the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board’s programme of renewal, and will see the playground in Regency Park Drive moved closer to the footpath, new equipment and a scooter path installed.

Auckland Council head of area operations, Julie Pickering, says the playground was built in September 2000 and that the play equipment and timber edge were assessed as requiring renewal in 2019.

There was corrosion and rotten timber, with parts of the equipment no longer up to standard.

There have been no accidents that Council knows of at the playground.

Consultation took place in 2019, the spokesperson says, and the design of the replacement playground reflects that community feedback.

It is being moved to improve drainage, as well as increase the distance between the playground and neighbouring homes.

Work is underway and should be completed by the end of next month, weather permitting.