Construction has begun this week on an $350,000 upgrade to the Rotary playground on Wanaka’s foreshore.

Many of the elements of the original early childhood playground, built by the Rotary Club of Wanaka, will be replaced, and a new concrete bike track around the perimeter of the playground will be added.

The upgraded playground, near the Wanaka Watersports Facility, will feature an inground mini-trampoline, rubber rocks, spinning balance balls and an eagle claw swing, and the former woodchip playground base layer will be replaced by a rubberised mat.

Rotary’s Tony Brown said the playground’s covered BBQ was constructed more than 10 years ago and the playground’s early childhood approved equipment was added beside the BBQ not long afterwards. 

Rotary members provided all the construction labour and maintained the BBQ and playground until it was eventually vested in the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).

The concept plan for the upgraded playground includes a concrete bike track around the site. IMAGE: QLDC

Rotary club president Mike Elliot said given the effort the club had made to establish the original playground he was disappointed by the QLDC’s lack of consultation regarding its upgrade.

“We knew nothing about it until we were advised last Tuesday (February 2) with work to begin on Wednesday,” he said. 

QLDC spokesperson Jack Barlow said the original playground provided only a limited variety and range of equipment and accessibility was poor.

“The playground is being upgraded because it has a poor provision for play equipment in what is a high profile location,” he said.

While $350,000 has been allocated to this project, Jack confirmed the council has no budget allocation to build any new playgrounds this financial year, despite calls from the Hāwea Community Association (HCA) for more playgrounds to meet the needs of a growing number of families in Hāwea.

The HCA committee advised a designated space has been set aside in the Sentinel Park subdivision and there was demand among families for a playground in Hāwea Flat, and the association is now seeking volunteers to form a playground committee “to get things moving”.

The contract to upgrade the rotary playground was awarded to Auckland based Creospace Limited and the upgrade is expected to be completed by the end of March.