UPDATE March 17:
Due to the rapidly changing situation with Covid-19/Coronavirus, we have made the decision to cancel this Friday’s ‘play and have your say’ engagement session at the Tongariro playground. This is a precautionary approach to protect the health of our community.
Community feedback on the playground development is important to us, and we will be looking at other ways we can facilitate this.
Thank you for your understanding.
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A fun-filled afternoon for children and families is on the cards at the Tongariro Playground next Friday.
The aim is to gather feedback from the community on a new play space planned for the area said head of community, culture and heritage Dylan Tahau.
“Some parts of the current playground are no longer fit for purpose. For example, the Koala Balls 3D climbing maze that is currently fenced off has deteriorated to the point where it is not safe, and parts are no longer available so we will replace it with something new.
“We want to create a more family-friendly environment that shares our local stories through a truly unique Taupō experience, and as we create the design concepts for the new play space we want to ensure we provide the opportunity for tamariki to share their ideas with us.”
The afternoon session will be held on Friday, 20 March from 3pm to 5pm at the Tongariro Domain and will be led by Bespoke Landscape Architects, who have come up with design concepts for the space.
There will be opportunities to see the first concept designs, share ideas and enjoy an afternoon snack.
“Once we have gathered feedback, we will finalise the design and get underway. We’re expecting to start the redevelopment of the playground in July this year, with the new play space to be complete by Labour Weekend,” Mr Tahau said.
Budget for the playground redevelopment was included in the 2018-2028 Long-term Plan and further funding has been secured from the community. Funding for a playground in Turangi was also included in the Long-term Plan and is in the preliminary planning stages.