2014 has been a busy year for the City of Clarence, with some exciting development toward a more inclusive community culminating with the launch of a large all–abilities playground at the riverside Simmons Park
in Lindisfarne.
Council hosted the launch of the park to coincide with the 2014 International Day of People with Disability.
The event, dubbed Access All Areas, was held to officially unveil the park, which used universal design principles to provide opportunities for people of all abilities to play together.
“Council believes that Universal Design is good design and endeavours to include access and amenity for users of all abilities in all its park and playground developments,” Mayor Chipman said.
The park includes a Disability Swing that is provided for all users as well as the Liberty Swing, which is designed for use by people in wheelchairs.
“Our designers have cleverly combined pathways, plantings, play equipment and picnic areas that everyone can enjoy.
“The picnic table settings were selected as they allow for wheelchairs to be pushed right up to the table, which is also great for prams.”
Clarence City Council will continue its investment in parks and playgrounds beginning early in the new year with the design and construction of an accessible toilet block, a community performance structure, mini-amphitheatre, irrigation and pathways.
Designs such as Simmons Park are underpinned by the newly revised and adopted Access Plan 2014-2018, which provides a range of new strategies to increase access, participation and inclusion for people with disabilities, their families and carers, in Clarence.
The Plan is available to review online at www.ccc.ts.gov.au/accessplan
In 2014 Clarence was also the only Council in Tasmania to achieve World Health Organisation Age-friendly City status, marking the City as a place that strives to include its ageing population in all aspects of community life.
The membership of this global network of age-friendly Cities reiterates Clarence’s commitment to integrating an ageing perspective in urban planning and age-friendly urban environments.
In other areas of inclusion, Clarence City Council has marked International Refugee Week by declaring the City a Refugee Welcome Zone, expressing the City’s commitment to welcoming refugees into the community, upholding the human rights of refugees, demonstrating compassion for refugees and enhancing cultural and religious diversity in the community.
Council also supported and promoted the ‘Racism. It Stops with Me’ campaign by featuring the campaign logo and distributing information through social media.
“It has been very much a year of striving for inclusion, through the support of national campaigns, paying close attention to how our urban environments support our residents who are ageing or live with disability, and investing heavily in public open space infrastructure to ensure everyone can enjoy the beautiful environment Clarence has to offer,” said Mayor Chipman.
