Playground to be more inclusive

KIDS will soon be able to have playtime in a safe, quiet environment with a new sensory space on the way.

Victoria Park’s inclusive playground is set for a more than $310,000 addition, jointly funded by the State Government and the City of Ballarat.

The upgraded facility aims to give children with sensory issues the ability to enjoy the playground in way that’s more suited to their needs.

Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, announced the funding alongside City of Ballarat deputy mayor Cr Amy Johnson, and said the State will collaborate to provide an inclusive space for all children.

“We’re going to work together to deliver a sensory play space which is really inclusive to kids who sometimes get a bit overwhelmed and overloaded by the sounds and everything that’s going on,” she said.

“We know families from across Ballarat love to come here to celebrate birthdays, to have playdates, to get together with friends.”

The sensory facility will comprise small structures including a stage, hills, a tunnel and a forest with over 400 shrubs and 120 trees.

Victoria Park first opened in 2016 when Rebecca Paton, a member of the City’s disability advisory committee and community organiser for the playground, was inspired by a similar facility in Sydney.

She said the new space is “another piece of the puzzle” and will allow kids to express themselves in their own private space.

“We really want to capture that imaginative play,” she said. “That’s the stuff that keeps kids occupied for a really long time.”

“There’ll be spaces where kids can decide that’s a kitchen, that’s a school or a stage. That’s the stuff that means they’ve got that social play and that social interaction that kids really thrive on.”