Final phase of Olympic Park development begins

Work started today on the final phase of playground developments at Olympic Park in New Lynn.

The latest improvements to this award-winning park include increasing the range of play equipment, landscaping and installing new seating and picnic tables.

For safety reasons, certain areas of the park will need to be closed to the public while this work takes place, but contractors aim to keep the impact on park users to a minimum.

The $200,000 project has been funded by the Olympic Park Trust, which was established to find funding to support development work in the popular park.

Among the new equipment being installed is an ‘access swing’, which allows more than one child to be on it at the same time and for special needs children to be accompanied by caregiver, a climbing frame, a themed rocker for younger children and equipment for older children that encourages balance and coordination.

The design concept of the park has been developed over the past six years and is based on an Olympic stadium theme. It includes a concourse area complete with flying flags and a path laid out according to the dimensions of early Olympic stadium tracks.

Located around the edges of the track are play spaces catering for specific age groups. The centre piece is a challenging double mast climbing frame. The park
also features a range of public art works, from traditionally-inspired carvings to abstract art pieces.

In 2007, Olympic Park was awarded the New Zealand Recreation Association’s Outstanding Park Award.

Trust chairman and Waitakere City councillor Derek Battersby says it’s pleasing to see final stage of the project about to begin.

“It’s been a long development process but one that has been exciting to be involved in. The end result will be an impressive park full of fun play equipment for children and a place the whole family can enjoy,” he says.

Waitakere City Council officers have worked in partnership with the trust and contractors on developing the project, which has also involved the restoration of the Whau River and extensive landscaping.