Published: 26 April 2021

Eurobodalla Council will next month begin upgrades on two local much-loved playgrounds at South Durras and Tomakin.

From Monday 10 May, new equipment and facilities will be added to Tomakin’s Jack Buckley Park so it better caters for all ages and larger family groups.

A new obstacle course with balance beam, parallel bars, jump pods, hurdles and climbing wall will challenge older kids and adults, while a new seesaw rocker and playhouse will keep younger kids amused.

Large groups will benefit from new and additional picnic tables and shelters and a loop path will connect the playground with the barbecues and toilets, improving accessibility and also serving as a scooter and bike track for young riders. Shade sails, requested by the Tomakin community, will also be installed over part of the playground.

Tomakin residents were heavily involved in the upgrade’s design, initially through input into Council’s Recreation and Open Space Strategy, followed by a community survey, onsite meetings and regular contact between Council and the Tomakin Community Association.

The existing playground will be closed for six weeks while the work is underway, however the toilets will remain open. The project is partly funded thanks to a $50,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Everyone Can Play program and the remainder through Council funds.

Meanwhile, work is also set to begin on a new playground for South Durras on Monday 3 May. Built at the skate park, it will feature a net swing, racing slides, climbing nets, balance beams and more.

The playground design was chosen by the South Durras community, who proposed it be installed near the skate park to create a better all-ages recreation space. The old playground, at the corner of Corilla Street and Village Road, will be removed once the new one is open, and the area restored to grass.

Elsewhere throughout the shire, Council is continuing to upgrade recreational infrastructure as part of its annual renewal program. New picnic shelters will be installed at North Head Drive, Russ Martin Park at Moruya, Albert Ryan Park in Batemans Bay and Moruya’s Quarry Park, eight sets of seats and tables will be replaced across the shire, and new goal posts and ball stop nets will be installed at Moruya’s Gundary Oval, to name a few.

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