Shelley playground ‘boring’ for kids

THE fate of a “boring” and out-of-date playground in Shelley will have to wait a couple more months before it’s reviewed.

At the City of Canning’s council meeting on December 10, councillors voted in favour of a procedural motion which postponed a decision on Shelley Beach Park playground until March 2020.

While the park is anticipated to be improved under a new management plan for the Shelley Rossmoyne foreshore, Rossmoyne resident Amanda Spencer-Teo was hoping it could be brought forward.

“In its current state, the playground is not suitable for all ages, there’s no nature play, no shade and it desperately needs upgrades,’’ she said.

“The small flying fox is slow and squeaky, there is no sand and barbecue facilities are a good 100m away.”

The consensus from her four children is that the playground is “boring” and Ms Spencer-Teo would have to agreed.

“It’s not engaging at all and does not meet the needs of the local and wider community,’’ she said.

“This upgrade needs to happen, so why postpone it any longer?”

While Lo Quay playground is a short distance away, Ms Spencer-Teo said it was not suited to older kids and was always “incredibly” busy.

Canning Councillor Ben Kunze recognised the dilapidated state of the playground and pleaded with the council to support his motion, which requested funding in the 2020-21 budget to upgrade the park.

“The playground at Shelley Beach Park is out-of-date and remains desperately in need of repair,’’ he said.

“A significant portion of the playground has been taped off for many months, while new components are sourced to ensure a safe environment for children.

“The precinct is an iconic part of Canning and is rightly attributed to be a jewel in the crown for our municipality.”

Cr Kunze said while the master plan process was yet to be concluded, all three concepts would likely include an upgrade to the playground, so there was no reason to delay the proposal.

“This is more than a local park, it is a district park and needs a district playground,’’ he said.

Ms Spencer-Teo said her family were making the trek to Bibra Lake or Point Walter to enjoy the impressive nature playgrounds.

“We moved to the area five years because we wanted to live close to the river and we’ve been incredibly disappointed with the facilities on offer for the kids,’’ she said.

The Shelley Beach Park playground was installed circa in 2004 and is rated in the 2018 external audit of playgrounds as being in average condition.