Queens Park playground ready for new adventures

An exciting new addition to the Queens Park Margaret Street playground will be ready for climbing and sliding in mid-December 2018.

Toowoomba Regional Council’s Parks and Recreation Services portfolio leader Cr Joe Ramia said the seven-metre-high Pentaboo will add an extra sense of adventure to the popular playground.

“The Pentaboo, a play on words combining penta for five points of contact with the ground and peekaboo, is intended for use by children 12 years and older,” Cr Ramia said.

“The playground will provide hours of fun for children to safely climb and slide to their hearts’ content.

“While the additional new playground area will be opened in mid-December, maintenance of surrounding turfed areas will continue throughout December and the community is asked not to enter the turfed areas enclosed by bunting.”

Cr Ramia said the playground installation was part of the Queens Park Master Plan Improvements Stage 5 works.

“As part of the works, lighting of critical pathways between the Botanic Gardens, the Lindsay Street car park and the central amenities area will be completed in December this year,” Cr Ramia said.

“Council will start works to renew the Lindsay Street all-abilities playground to meet regional park delivery standards after February 2019 to ensure the school holidays and park events are not affected. Landscaping works, including access improvements to the Margaret Street frontage, will also start after February 2019.

“Additional major play items, including a flying fox, will be installed around the Pentaboo to increase play diversity and meet regional park delivery standards.”

Minister for Local Government Stirling Hinchliffe applauded Council on its progress of the works.

“These are the kind of projects the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program are designed to deliver, and I’m thrilled the Pentaboo will be open to the kids in time for school holidays,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“The Stage 5 works are a wonderful example of what can be achieved for the community when the two levels of government work together.”

Cr Ramia said programmed works would also include upgrading Harding Avenue South (Lindsay Street car park to Margaret Street) to increase the accessibility of the current footpath.

The Stage 5 works are the latest in ongoing improvements outlined in Council’s $12 million Queens Park Master Plan implementation project, designed to enhance public facilities while maintaining the unique features of the city’s premier park.

The Queens Park Stage 5 Master Plan Improvement Works is a joint initiative of the Toowoomba Regional Council and the Queensland Government. In November 2017, Council received State Government funding of $1.288 million to assist with construction of the Stage 5 project works through the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program.

“Queens Park attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year for community celebrations, sporting activities and family outings. The park has a long and proud history and Council has carried out extensive planning to preserve the park’s distinctive cultural heritage values,” Cr Ramia said.

For more information about the Queens Park Masterplan improvements Stage 5 go to http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/our-region/major-projects/environment-community/12301-queens-park-improvements