A public playground is planned for Hāwea Flat after a collaborative effort by the Hāwea Playground Committee and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).

A QLDC representative confirmed this week that funding for a playground at Long Grass Place has been brought forward from year three of the Long Term Plan to the current financial year.

“We’re continuing to work with the committee on final plans and look forward to getting spades in the ground soon,” the representative said.

QLDC acknowledged the “amazing mahi” done by the playground committee, a subcommittee of the Hawea Community Association, which was formed a few years ago to help address the shortage of playgrounds in the Hāwea area.

Playground committee member Louise Merrall said it was a “big win” to get the Hāwea Flat playground funding brought forward.

Given the growth, particularly in the number of young families, in the Hāwea area, it is a “well-placed investment”, she told the Wānaka App.

Louise said when the playground committee was formed there was just one public playground in Lake Hāwea, at Peter Fraser Park.

“We formed a committee, had concept plans drawn up, held focus groups and posted surveys, all to understand what people wanted,” she said.

The committee eventually narrowed down their focus to the Sentinel Park Reserve in Hāwea and Long Grass Place in Hāwea Flat.

When Longview’s new playground was installed by the developer only a short distance from Sentinel Park “we didn’t see it as a good use of funds to have two offerings very close to each other”, Louise said, and Long Grass Place became the committee’s main focus.

The concept plans for the Long Grass Place playground, which have been passed on to council, feature “traditional playground equipment -- swings, slides, climbing equipment, and that sort of thing”, she said.

Louise said the committee still had plans in the works for Sentinel Park Reserve which it hopes to progress.

The QLDC representative said the Long Grass Place playground was able to be brought forward after the parks team decided Wānaka’s Warren Street playground, initially earmarked for a $400K upgrade this year, “still had plenty of life in it”.

“Hence we’ve been able to prioritise Long Grass Place and defer work at Warren Street – originally planned for this financial year – for another two to three years,” they said. 

“No additional new playgrounds in the Upper Clutha are planned this year but the parks team will continue its usual inspection, repair and renewal work where needed.”

PHOTO: Wānaka App