Town of Port Hedland, Western Australia, has a brand new, accessible playground at Cemetery Beach Park as part of the Town’s $1.2 million playground replacement program.
Works were completed in record time in January and February, moved forward due to the need to fix the damage incurred by Cyclone Veronica.
Contractors Active Discovery, were awarded the contract for the new playground, which features more open space, more features for children to explore and is in line with the Town’s Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2017 – 2022.
Hon. Commissioner, Fred Riebeling AM JP, said the playground renewal was the result of foresight and passion to improve Hedland’s build environment.
“Cyclone Veronica caused significant damage along the Cemetery Beach coastline, however the Town’s parks and gardens crews and contractors have worked exceptionally hard to make sure the site is now safe and accessible.”
The new playground features structures to climb, jumping floor panels, plenty of sand, face to face swings and the bow of a ship facing the beach.
“From the detailed design through to the construction stage, making sure children of all abilities get to enjoy outdoor play has been our first and foremost priority.
“Active Discovery used Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), a principle which seeks to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour through a playground’s design.
“In relation to the Cemetery Beach Park, more open space increases the likelihood of criminal activity being seen by passes by.
“Importantly, CPTED seeks to create the perception among potential offenders that the risks of committing crime on a site are too high.”
Commissioner Riebeling said CPTED was an important principle the Town sought to utilise in its renewal of public open spaces across Hedland.
“I’d like to thank Active Discovery and the Town’s staff for renewing the playground in the principles of deterring would be criminal offenders, since we want to make sure the park is safe and accessible for all families to enjoy.
“In our wisdom, we opened the naming of the turtle sculpture for a public vote: not surprisingly, Turtie McTurtle Face was the clear winner!”
