By JESSE GRAHAM
IT’S one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Yarra Ranges, and a playground residents and visitors have used in its various forms for the last 25 years.
Now, the council wants to know residents’ thoughts on what form it will take next, with $1.4 million slated for a brand new playground at Lillydale Lake.
The council announced late last month that it was beginning consultation on a redevelopment of Lillydale Lake’s playground, with construction to begin mid-2016.
Residents are being asked to put their thoughts, feelings and ideas into words and help shape the future of the playground, with online submissions being taken and consultation at the lake on Saturday 12 December.
Billanook Ward councillor, Maria McCarthy, said there was a “pretty spectacular” vision for the site, turning the playground into an area for people of all ages and abilities.
“They want it to be an interactive play space, so it’s not just for children,” Cr McCarthy said.
“It’s for little babies, people with disabilities; it’s for young parents, for parents and grandparents.
“It will encourage children to go there and actually play – that’s what kids want, somewhere to explore for themselves.”
Cr McCarthy said the new playground, in whatever form it might take, would be more accessible for those in wheelchairs or living with a disability – currently, she said the ramps were too steep for wheelchair access.
The redevelopment comes after the Victorian Government allocated $1 million in funding to the project through the Interface Development Fund, complementing council’s $400,000 funding for the project.
The pop-up consultation will run from noon-2pm on Saturday 12 December, at Lillydale Lake, and follows one previously held on 29 November.
To make a submission online, visit www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/playspace.
