By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The community-built timber adventure playground in Burden Park has drawn high praise from Greater Dandenong mayor-on-leave Roz Blades.
Cr Blades, who has been on a leave-of-absence as Mayor for the past six weeks, was there for a 25th anniversary celebration of the Springvale South landmark on Sunday 8 September.
“It was huge. It is a monument to the community of Springvale.”
She praised the turn-out of 1200 volunteers who toiled over four days to build the playground, supported by the then-City of Springvale.
Cr Blades was also Springvale’s mayor at the time and part of the community effort.
She recalls bikies on the tools, chefs from the Waltzing Matilda Hotel bringing soup and residents bearing plates of sandwiches.
“I have never heard of anywhere where 1200 volunteers doing something like this.
“It was not a company of builders, it was done by the little people, the ordinary people who came out and built a playground.
“That playground is a tribute to the spirit of a community.”
A community committee fundraised $120,000 for the project. It included $50,000 raised by the City of Springvale, Cr Blades said.
It was all done in a time before emails. For two years, the community orgainsed donations, tools and helpers through letters and phone calls, Cr Blades said.
The playground is now under the auspices of the City of Greater Dandenong – formed from the amalgamation the cities of Springvale and Dandenong, Cr Blades said.
Cr Blades’ leave of absence has been extended to include this month’s two council meetings on 10 and 24 September.
She told the Journal that it was “just some time off”.
“I’ve been working from home for two months. Everything is fine.”
