CHILDREN of all ages may be getting back to basic play with the vision for a nature playground at McCorquindale Park in a Penola committee’s sights.
The McCorquindale Park management committee has applied for a $50,000 South Australian Healthy Towns Challenge grant in order to achieve the community minded goal.
Brought to its attention by the Riddoch Business and Community Association, the committee put together a draft design for the facility which is hoped will be built in the vacant lot between the current netball courts and football oval.
The Limestone Coast has a range of nature playgrounds including the Mount Gambier Railway Lands, Naracoorte Caves and a recent addition to Millicent’s
Domain playground, with the newest vision extending to the Penola district.
Looking to follow suit and add to the large sporting hub, McCorquindale Park management committee chairperson Josie Abbey said members were excited to get the project under way.
“We wanted to move the original playground to a more central area but soon found that would not be possible,” Ms Abbey said.
“We were then approached by a local business to see if we were interested in getting a nature playground.”
With nature playgroundsgrowing in popularity across Australia, Ms Abbey said it would be a valuable addition to McCorquindale Park following a range of facility upgrades in recent years.
“Nature playgrounds help children with their motor skills and coordination which is fantastic and it is kind of going back to basics,” Ms Abbey said.
“We are hoping to have some climbing structures, whether that is logs or boulders and we are also hoping to have rope structures and a slide the children can run up and come back down on.”
The basic design was sent alongside the grant application with high hopes among sporting groups and the committee for success.
“We are hoping to be able to do something amazing for the community and where we have planned to have it set up will be central for both football and netball,” Ms Abbey said.
“It will further bring the community together and be another place where people can come and meet.
Ms Abbey believes children will be able to get back to basics with the nature-based area as a point of difference from other play areas in the town.
“There has been a real push on getting back to nature with children lately and we travelled around the region and took photographs of other nature playgrounds before showing the local clubs what we were hoping to do,” she said.
“All of those who have seen the plans and the photographs are happy for us to continue with the project and believe it would be a great addition to the park.”
McCorquindale Park has also received a Wattle Range Council grant to install security cameras around the facility to give users and the community peace of mind.
“There are lots of things happening at the park which we are excited about and look forward to having a continually evolving facility for the whole community to enjoy,” Ms Abbey said.
