Turner’s Reserve
Products used:
Pour'n'Play
Upgrading a tired community playground involves input from council, designers, builders, and most importantly, the locals who will use it. With such a wide range of perspectives to consider achieving the right result requires far more than a one-size-fits-all approach. For Mt Roskill’s Turners Reserve upgrade it was a ‘mix and match’ approach that delivered the goods.
As part of the Puketāpapa Local Board’s initiative to upgrade green spaces and playgrounds in the district Turners Reserve was flagged as a location in dire need of a refresh.
Without healthy, vibrant spaces to play, socialise and exercise communities lack cohesiveness. The ‘neglected’ Turners Reserve site was seldom used, and locals were missing out on all the benefits that shared recreational spaces provide.
The rejuvenation project was subject to tight budget and space restrictions, and providing wheelchair access was a high priority. In the end the flexibility of Numat’s products was what saw the company called on to provide surfacing for the $170,000 project. Considerations included colour matching, joining concrete surfacing with rubber, meeting the budget and addressing wheelchair accessibility.
As project manager on the job James Rawnsley worked through a design that would ensure the concrete paths seamlessly met the rubber surfaces. Using the Permachip and Pour‘n’Play products, Numat delivered a finish that not only looks good but also allows accessibility for all.
“Matching rubber to concrete isn’t easy at times,” says James. “But it has provided a very effective result.”
“We worked with their budget – which was vital. We used poured rubber in the high-use and high-impact areas and other surfacing options in the connecting areas,” James says. “This was a cost-effective approach.”
Turners Reserve is now unrecognisable from what it was just 12 months ago. By using red and black Pour‘n’Play to match the red ropes of the climbing equipment the designers have created an exciting and inviting playground. They’ve packed a lot of fun into a limited space.
The children (big and small) can now enjoy a flying fox, eagle’s nest and climbing equipment, as well as a BMX track and drinking fountain. The clean, easy-to-access look is complemented with native plantings, a distinctive mural and fruit trees.
Now that the work is complete locals are once again using the playground and sharing the space with neighbours. Just as happy with the result is the council’s design and landscape team, who recognised the benefit to working with a supplier who can deliver flexibility and cost-effectiveness when handling community projects.
