The council’s playground consultation also found St Kilda’s Marlow Park, known by some as Dinosaur Park, to be the city playground where a major redevelopment was most wanted.
The council received 1639 submissions in the first round of its "destination" playground public consultation in October.
This week councillors will consider the feedback and be asked to make decisions about spending at the city’s three destination playgrounds — Marlow Park, Woodhaugh Gardens and Mosgiel Memorial Park — as well as whether to begin looking into where a new destination playground might be wanted.
The parks and recreation department report said 60% of submitters wanted a new destination playground for the city.
Preferred locations were at Port Chalmers and central city locations including the waterfront, Kensington Oval, Princes St’s Market Reserve, the Town Belt, and the botanic garden, the report said.
Water features, such as paddling pools, fountains and "splash pads", were among the most-requested amenities.
Submitters also said they wanted a destination playground to include options for all ages, from toddlers to teens or adults.
Among the existing destination playgrounds, updating Marlow Park was the most popular response with 935 submitters supporting that option.
The report said a review by Bespoke Landscape Architects found the play equipment there was "scattered" and the use of space "inefficient".
The playground could be cold because of wind and rain that funnelled through the site at times, and wind and rain shelters would improve it, the report said.
The Bespoke assessment found significant improvement could be made to provide for older children from the ages of 10 to 14.
Further, the equipment was old and outdated.
"Bespoke recommends retaining many of the existing iconic play elements and improving the flow through the space to elevate play values and improve social areas.
"Much of the revitalisation can be achieved through surface upgrades and the inclusion of new play structures.
"An improved landscape setting would also improve amenity value and aid in improving spaces for social interaction for older age groups."
Seven hundred and ninety respondents wanted Woodhaugh Gardens to be fully redeveloped into a modern destination playground.
Bespoke said there, playground equipment was scattered between three locations and required consolidation.
Their assessment also found that the playground lacked "inclusive play elements" that would encourage social interaction.
Woodhaugh also had limited accessibility due to the lack of all-weather surfaces.
A scattered layout also hampered Mosgiel Memorial Gardens, the report said.
There, 884 submitters called for regular investment, such as replacing ageing equipment with modern equipment as required.
The Bespoke assessment agreed.
"The playground does not require redevelopment in its entirety. It is recommended that investment should focus on consolidation, or reconfiguration of existing elements in an improved arrangement, and supplementing these with new elements that improve play value," the report said.
In the council’s long-term plan, for the next financial year through to 2030-31, there was a total of $9.5 million set aside for playground upgrades, subject to annual budget approval, the report said.
If councillors decided to redevelop any of the existing destination playgrounds, concept plans would be prepared and consulted on in the next financial year.
If the council decided to go ahead with site investigations for a new destination playground, staff would begin those and produce a report on options in time for the next long-term plan, the report said.
By: Staff reporter
