Council plans three new playground upgrades

Having just opened a revamped Leslie Park playground in Warwick to rave reviews from local families, Southern Downs Regional Council announced on Monday that it will start work upgrading three more playgrounds in January.
Substantial upgrades with a total value of $184,000 will be made to Killarney’s Canning Park, Allora’s Stuart Henry Park and Warwick’s Chase Estate Park by the end of February.
Mayor Ron Bellingham said it was all about creating better public open space and giving healthy, outdoor destinations for parents to take their children.
“In the last three and a half years this council has replaced eight public amenities blocks and made substantial upgrades to 13 parks across the Southern Downs, not counting these three new projects,” Cr Bellingham said.
“We’re not going to stop here,” he said.  “Every year there will be consideration given to other parks in our capital budget.”
“We’ll be looking first and foremost at safety, upgrading those parks with old or outdated equipment that doesn’t meet current Australian safety standards.”
Nestled in between the Allora Swimming Pool, basketball courts and Skate Park, upgrades to Stuart Henry Park at Allora will see it become the hub of a children’s play precinct.  The playground will be completely revamped with a complex new fort and monkey bar series, double chain swing set and a bird’s nest swing, similar to the one in Leslie Park.
Canning Park in Killarney will get new play equipment aimed at younger children, with shade cloth coverings. The new playground will be fully fenced to provide maximum safety and peace of mind for parents.
“This will be a destination for parents to go and know their little tackers won’t get away,” parks and gardens coordinator John Newley said.
“It’s on the main drag in Killarney and is near another playground suitable for older children, so will be a great destination for families with children of all ages, either locally or people travelling through,” Mr Newley said.
The council will also replace ageing play equipment in Chase Estate Park in Warwick with a modern colourful playground that meets current Australian standards.
“The children will love it,” Mr Newley said.