Play Time Is Fun Time In Ruawai's New Playground

“Wow! neat! cool! and it’s fun.” These are typical reactions from Ruawai children enjoying the town’s brand new playground with $25,000 worth of exciting and safe equipment provided by Kaipara District Council and the local community.

The old playground, behind the Ruawai Tokatoka War Memorial Hall was outdated, unattractive and potentially unsafe so the War Memorial Hall Committee approached Council, seeking something more suitable.

Three sites were considered, from which the community chose Westlake Road, behind the kindergarten, ahead of one on Wharf Road and the old site near the rugby field.

Kaipara District Council contributed $25,000 through the Annual Plan process and the Ruawai community donated $2,995 plus labour and machinery to prepare the new site and build edging around the playground. Establishment required re-routing overhead electricity lines which was done by Northpower at minimal cost.

Hall committee chairman Peter Joynt says the new playground is brilliant. “It’s state-of-the-art, especially compared to what we had which was at least 30 years old.”

The colourful new gear has also proved a hit with youngsters from the kindergarten next door with Brendan enjoying the green monkey bars most, Jahziah making for the fire engine and Makana and Madison concentrating on the slide, ”because it is so fast.”

“I like swinging on the monkey bars which are high up” says Jessie while Sacha‘s favourite was the “bouncy” bridge.

The community plans another working bee soon to complete the parking area and the old playground will be dismantled.

Last year Kaipara District Council worked with Maungaturoto Rotary Club and the community to re-equip and enlarge Maungaturoto’s playground and the Council’s Community Development Officer Heidi Dreyer says Council will consider working alongside other communities who need facilities like playgrounds.

For more information contact Kaipara Community Development Officer Heidi Dreyer at the Kaipara District Council on telephone 09 439 7059 or 0800 727 059