Thomas Street Reserve playground closing for upgrades

Local families and visitors can expect to see all new inclusive play equipment in place at Bayside’s most popular playground in 2021.

The playground at Thomas Street Reserve along with the public toilet block, will close Monday 26 October 2020 to begin construction and work is expected to last several months. The playground and public toilet are expected to reopen by June 2021.

The existing much-loved wooden fort playground is nearing it’s 30th birthday and has reached the end of its useable life. Issues with visibility, accessibility and character do not meet contemporary community needs and expectations.

With input from playground testers, residents and in collaboration with the Community Advisory Group the new inclusive playground design will provide for a wide range of abilities and interests.

The playground will be complete with wheelchair trampolines, flying foxes, slides, a range of swings, a parkour course and a water play area. The centrepiece of the playground is a timber castle, which carries forward the theme of the current fort/castle. Turrets from the existing and much-loved fort have been re-purposed in the new design and wood and natural materials are featured throughout.

The park will also be improved with a new seniors fitness area, picnic tables, new walking paths and extensive planting for shade, sensory stimulation and unstructured play. The existing toilet will be replaced with a new facility to better suit the needs of kids and parents of all abilities and will include a Changing Places hoist-assisted change facility.

The construction area will be fenced off for the safety of park visitors. All other areas of Thomas Street Reserve will remain open during construction.

For more information and progress updates, visit bayside.vic.gov.au/ThomasStreetPlayground