We’re engaging with the community to understand their needs and vision for quality play opportunities that are exciting, engaging and sustainable.

Wodonga Council is committed to the provision of high-quality play environments across the municipality. These should be equitable and diverse; accessible, inclusive, stimulating and challenging for a variety of age ranges. Play spaces should account for children’s physical, social, cognitive, emotional and creative skills offering variety.

The Wodonga Playspace Strategy 2024-2029 guides the development of our play space network, site assessments and independent and safety audits determine renewal recommendations and prioritisation.

To assist with analysis and identifying priorities, Wodonga has been divided into play space precincts. These precincts are designed between major roads and waterway barriers to ensure that play space provision is accessible and does not require residents to traverse major roads or rivers.

No one play space on its own will meet the needs of every resident as people’s needs and interests vary from time to time and person to person. Precincts should provide a diverse spectrum of types of spaces for the purposes of play and recreation, as well as for habitat and amenity, to allow children to experience a range of types of space.

It is assumed that people will be able to move around their neighbourhood, between choices of parks and play spaces.

Ernie May is categorised as a local play space due for renewal. Lukin Lane in Killara is a proposed new play space development in Killara identified to address a gap in play equipment for younger ages in the precinct.

A local play space serves homes generally within 10 minutes’ walk or 500m for families and its primary purpose is for play and social recreation. They are important meeting places for local children, teenagers and families and contain 2-5 play elements.

It should have shade trees, seating and a rubbish bin, but barbecues, toilets and parking are not required as visits are likely to be of short duration and its role is serving homes within walking distance. The age range of equipment may focus on a narrower age group.