Not one, not two, but potentially three 'destination' children's playgrounds for Dunedin
A trio of “destination” children's playgrounds similar to Christchurch’s Margaret Mahy playground could be built in Dunedin.
The Dunedin City Council will meet next week – via audiovisual link – to debate options as part of its draft plan as it tries to keep a 6.5 per cent rate rise for 2022-23.
In May last year the council decided to support, in principle, the development of a new destination children’s playground.
A consultant was commissioned to assess Dunedin’s current play spaces – defined as having playground amenities and supporting infrastructure – and to provide examples of other relevant New Zealand destination play spaces.
Marlow Park, Woodhaugh Gardens and Mosgiel Memorial Gardens were identified as the parks that best fitted the definition of a destination play space, but all had some deficiencies.
Marlow Park, more commonly known as “the Dinosaur Park”, was considered old and outdated compared to modern standards, while lacking equipment for older children.
Woodhaugh Gardens had a lack of all-weather surfaces, while Mosgiel Memorial Park had an inefficient use of space.
A new destination would require a larger financial investment, and that was not recommended.
The report noted that Christchurch’s Margaret Mahy play space was completed in 2015 at a cost of $4 million, while Auckland’s Kopupaka play space, which opened last year, cost $6m.
The council were presented with three options, including either using a new greenfields site, making one destination playground, or investing in all three current destination play spaces.
That last option would result in each major city catchment area receiving investment in a destination play space.
The council’s current 10-year plan includes budgets for minor renewal and upgrade work at each of the three destination play spaces.
Maidstone Max is being touted as a regional attraction for Upper Hutt following its rebuild, that includes accessible features so it can be enjoyed by wheelchair users.
But to raise the quality of the facilities to an appropriate standard, the report estimated a capital investment of $4m to $6m spread across the three destination play spaces would be required.
The council will also discuss funding options for kerbside recycling after it previously resolved to adopt targeted rates funding for collection bins, plus an opt-in garden waste bin funded via fees and charges.
That led to a report outlining options for a flat and progressive targeted rate for kerbside collection.
The report noted that Dunedin’s proposed kerbside collection plan was similar to that of Auckland, which limited the volume available for general waste while increasing access to diversion services.
A key component to that plan would be “pay as you throw” technology, effectively meaning residents would only pay for bin collections when needed and incentivised the reduction of household waste.
No options were presented to the council.
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
-
41.3% Yes
-
32.8% Maybe?
-
25.9% No
Police urge caution on Southland beaches
As the weather warms up and Southlanders begin flocking to the beach, Police are reminding people of an important fact – beaches are roads and need to be treated as such.
Senior Sergeant Scott MacKenzie, Southland Area Road Policing Manager, says while it is legal to drive on Oreti Beach, you still need to adhere to the road rules.
“The beach has a speed limit of 30k/h – there is no excuse to be over this limit.
The days are getting warmer and with school holidays it can be expected that a lot of families with small children and animals will be heading to the beach to enjoy the sun."
“Anyone driving on the beach needs to be mindful of this, and stay focused on your surroundings,” he says.
The risks of injury or worse, to yourself or others, are just the same as on traditional roads.
Senior Sergeant MacKenzie also reminds beach goers that any form of antisocial road-user behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Some people seem to think that road rules don’t apply to you when on the beach – this is not the case.
Antisocial driving behaviour is unacceptable, on and off the beach, and we encourage the community to report the driving behaviour immediately."
“It is best to make a report while the incident is occurring to allow our staff the opportunity to respond immediately and hopefully disrupt any offenders in the act.
Please take note of as much detail as possible, such as registration number of the vehicle, any identifying features of the vehicle and its driver, or even take a video of the driving behaviour if safe to do so,” he says.
You can report information to us by calling 111 if it is happening now, or through 105 for non-emergencies.
Alternatively, you can report information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Loading…
