Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) has been keeping play a priority; it has featured as a key agenda item at its recent council meeting and in the recently released budget. It comes as school starts back again, after a holiday period that saw local children and visitors looking for wintry activities in regional small towns.

Maldon Playground has been allocated $40k in the 2025/26 budget, which the Council says will be used to start the ball rolling on designs and ensure that multiple needs are met. At this stage the planning is about broad concepts, which will then guide the details and costs, and it’s not all fun and games. “Delivering a playground involves more than the play equipment itself. We are also required to provide accessible paths, soft fall, landscaping and shade,” explained Karen Evennett, Manager Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities at MASC. “Community consultation is key in delivering all our playgrounds.”

The idea is to create something that nestles into the area in a sympathetic and accessible way. “Each community has very valid suggestions on how the playground sits with the environment and what features of the town and surrounds should be reflected to help to make the space a special feature of the township,” Ms Evennett said.

A similar process took place in the development of the iconic apple-box design tower and slide, as requested by the community, in Harcourt Recreation Reserve. Ms Evennett said: “As Maldon is a heritage town and the playground is situated in the Government Reserve, we need to ensure the designs both celebrate and adhere to heritage guidelines. This is not something that an off-the-shelf play equipment design can deliver.”

That also means that it will take time before changes will be seen at Maldon Playground. Ms Evennett said: “Community consultation and scoping will need to be completed before we can prepare detailed costings. We will keep the community updated via local media and our website on opportunities to provide feedback.”

Meanwhile, at its last meeting on Tuesday 15 July, Council passed a motion to accept a new Playground Renewal Plan for the shire. The Playground Renewal Plan is designed to guide Council’s future investment in Council’s 29 playgrounds by using a ‘playground hierarchy’ to ascribe and compare “levels of service”.

The plan does not include an evaluation of Council’s existing playgrounds, or whether there are any unmet demands for playgrounds. Councillor Lucas Maddock highlighted this point and said that while a hierarchy is useful, an analysis of needs would also assist decision-making and “…how to best equitably spend our limited resources.”

Cr Maddock added: “When we’re thinking about spending money on playgrounds and we want to make the most equitable decision, we need to know where those service gaps are and if our money would be better spent building a new playground, fulfilling a service gap, than renewing one that already exists.”

After the unanimous motion to accept the Playground Renewal Plan, Mayor Rosie Annear stated: “This document is really to guide how we pick which playground we renew next, because we do have a lot; they are spread across the entire shire.”

It’s interesting to realise how much research and red tape there is in recreation. But when you think about play in terms of health, safety, fitness, tourism, education and socialisation, it’s reassuring to know that climbing and swinging are being treated with appropriate gravitas.

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 25 July 2025.