Highly anticipated inclusive playspace opens in Hammondville with two Australian firsts

Liverpool City Council has officially opened Liverpool’s first Variety Livvi’s Place, a playspace promoting inclusivity among children of all ages and abilities, at Lt Cantello Reserve in Hammondville. The playspace features an inclusive seesaw and custom-built embankment slide with an inclusive exit – both the first to be installed in Australia.

Mayor of Liverpool Ned Mannoun was joined by Liverpool City Councillors, Members of Parliament and Council staff for the ribbon-cutting ceremony which was followed by a barbecue for members of the community. Meanwhile, local children enjoyed the new state-of-the-art play equipment for the first time, including a custom-built Bespoke tower with an eight-metre-long slide, pod swing and inclusive carousel and trampolines.

Mayor Mannoun expressed how proud Council was to deliver a playspace with Australian-first inclusive play equipment, where fun is accessible for everyone.

“Working with our fantastic partners, Variety – the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT and Proludic, every step of the way, we have brought the vision and spirit of Livvi’s Place to life in Liverpool.

“There was a huge amount of anticipation around the delivery of this playspace and many members of the community have been closely following Council’s progress.

“Through the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and unfavourable weather, we have worked incredibly hard to deliver this project as efficiently as possible.

“This playspace already means so much to so many families in this neighbourhood and surrounding communities across Liverpool,” Mayor Mannoun said.

Picture: Wattle Grove resident Belinda Proctor pictured with partner, Tim and their three children Charlize (16), Amity (9) and Flynn (6).

Professional party entertainer and Wattle Grove mother-of-three Belinda Proctor expects to visit Variety Livvi’s Place in Hammondville at least once a week. Her youngest Flynn is six years old and was diagnosed as non-verbal with Level Three Autism when he was just 18 months old.

She expressed that for many families in the community, like hers, who have children with additional needs, family time is often difficult and recalls many instances where Flynn has fled playspaces because he was feeling uncomfortable.

“Taking Flynn to a public playspace can be an overwhelming experience for both Flynn and I,” Ms Proctor said. “Flynn has no true sense of danger so it can be exhausting, as a parent, to have to constantly watch, shadow and supervise him during playtime.”

Ms Proctor has visited Livvi’s Place playspaces in other Local Government Areas and said she was very excited to hear Hammondville was getting one of its own.

She said inclusive playspaces like Variety Livvi’s Place are crucial for the safety, education and social integration of autistic children but can have broader benefits for all children and families.

“It will make the world of difference for children with additional needs like Flynn who will be able to play safely with other children of all ages and abilities and not be restricted to his backyard most of the time.

“It also creates crucial opportunities for building connections and understanding among other families about the challenges faced by many families who have children with additional needs.

“If I have friends who want to catch up with us as a family, I now have somewhere safe to recommend we get together. Usually, we would have to miss out or split the family up so one parent was at home looking after Flynn at all times.”

Mayor Mannoun concluded that the delivery of this inclusive playspace is another step in Council’s journey towards making Liverpool an even more inclusive City that enriches the lives of residents both young and old.