Community motivation results in new playground
10 August 2011
The efforts of a group of Melville mothers to have a new children’s play facility built in their neighbourhood
culminates on Friday with the official opening of the Pine Avenue playground.
The idea for a new playground in the Bader neighbourhood reaches back to 2009, and stemmed from regular Friday morning
meetings by mothers in the area. Many of the women were without transport, and saw the need for a new neighbourhood
playground within walking distance. They gathered the support of their community and agencies including Child Youth and
Family, Work and Income, Housing New Zealand, Police, Glenview Community Centre, Te Whare Kokonga to seek Council
backing for the new playground.
Forty-nine submissions asking for a new neighbourhood playground were made to the 2010-2011 Annual Plan, leading Council
to work with the group to identify the right site, and this week’s official opening by Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker.
Council’s Neighbourhood Development Team Leader Andy Mannering said: “This is a great example of how a community can
gather support for a valuable neighbourhood project, and use Council’s democratic processes to make it happen. And now
they have a great new playground for the children to enjoy.”
ENDS