DESIGNERS are feeling the pressure of expectation as demolition works begin at Lake Weeroona's popular playground.
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They think its replacement will be a hit but are well aware that children could soon be their harshest critics.
"You never know until it's in the ground," City of Greater Bendigo parks and open space manager Chris Mitchell said.
"We are pretty confident. We've got a very experienced team."
The council has just begun a $1.527 million rebuild at one of the busiest playgrounds in the municipality.
The 24-year-old space boasted 80,000 visitors in 2021.
Many were locals but the playground was a popular stopping spot for those dropping into Bendigo from the wider region, or passing through on holiday.
Designers have been influenced by ideas emerging across the world, the council's public space design coordinator Mandy Banks said.
"You will notice a lot of new, larger play spaces with 'nature play' type themes coming through, with the use of natural materials," she said.
"I would say that 10, 20, 30 years ago there was more of an emphasis on plastics, steel, bright colours and the like."
The old playground was part of that trend but was showing its age.
Community consultations had shown how popular many elements of the playground had been, Ms Banks said.
The replacement would rely heavily on the same sort of timbre-look, as well as stones and other repurposed elements uncovered at a council storage depot, she said.
It would also mimic the "ramp" designs of the old playground and have plenty of seating.
The new playground would more consciously encourage children to see bushes, shrubs and even a tree as part of the playing experience.
Children would be able to run up ramps surrounding an existing peppercorn tree to what designers are calling a "shaded tree house space", for example.
"You can't quite call it 'nature' because it is a constructed environment that is very prescribed," Ms Banks said.
"But it will have growing landscape elements."
The playground will also have more shade and a water-play area to help address concerns aired during community consultations.
"It wasn't providing enough shade opportunities so we've worked really hard to incorporate that into the new one," Ms Banks said.
The project is being funded through a $1.2 million contribution from the Australian Government's Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, and $301,750 from the City of Greater Bendigo.
The LRCI program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and the resilience of local economies to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The council expects to open the new playground in December.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
