Place to play

By Melissa Meehan
KEYSBOROUGH will have a new playground in Tatterson Park before the end of September. Work will start soon.
The Federal Labor MP for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus, this week announced officially that a $500,000 playground would be built thanks to the Federal Government’s Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program.
The playground will cater for a wide range of ages and abilities, and will be designed with an environmental theme that will be used to link up with other environmental activities in the park.
Mr Dreyfus said that in a growing residential area such as Keysborough it was important that entertainment facilities such as the playground were built.
“Tatterson Park is already a good place to bring the family,” he said. “But this new playground will mean kids of all ages can play in a fun and safe environment, which will be great for parents in our local community.”
City of Greater Dandenong councillors Peter Brown and Jim Memeti welcomed the development.
“Without the Federal Government contribution this would not have been able to happen,” Cr Brown said at the meeting. “We are in the position to get work moving because the money came through.”
The Federal Government contributed $300,000 towards the construction of a regional playground at the park on the condition that work would be completed by the end of September.
The redevelopment will incorporate visions of a regional, multi-purpose park that provides for a broad range of passive and active recreational pursuits. It will also include parklands for unstructured recreation.
Cr Brown said that the council had already drawn up the plans as part of the master plan.
“The project was shovel ready,” he said. “Council work on the site will bring the playground project up to about $500,000.”
The site is east of the Springers leisure centre on land that has a dried-up dam, which was used for farming.
“Because of improved drainage … the site will enable the playground to be constructed there,” Cr Brown said. “Springers and the playground will share existing parking facilities and the kiosk.”
Cr Brown said that there would be an impact on one of the two dams on the site, but drainage of water would be directed to a wetland area where there was a significant number of red gum trees.
“Even now you can walk around the perimeter at dusk and hear frogs croaking,” Cr Brown said. “So for this area to be given greater environmental protection by improving rainwater run-off into that site will be a real benefit.”
Both councillors said that a regional playground of this size was important not only to Tatterson Park as a recreational destination, but to the thousands of residents who lived within walking distance or a short drive.
“It must be remembered that within five to 10 years an additional 3000 homes will be constructed to the south-east of the park,” Cr Brown said. “That development will bring many young children.”