PARK UPGRADES BOOST LOCAL LIVING IN DARLEY
An exciting new play space designed for all ages has opened in Darley, offering kids, parents, guardians and carers a place to play, explore and connect, and marking the completion of a series of projects designed to boost liveability in the region.
Member for Eureka Michaela Settle today represented Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes to officially open the new play space alongside local representatives and community members.
The playground received $200,000 from the Victorian Government through Regional Development Victoria as part of a series of projects backed by the Government to enrich local living experiences in the Central Highlands region.
Works were inspired by research for the Moorabool Shire Council’s Darley Park Master Plan, which highlighted the need for a shared playground where children and their caregivers could spend time together.
Council’s findings identified that almost 700 people aged 55 years and older were providing unpaid childcare for someone else’s children in Darley, Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley and that the area was home to many families with children of all ages.
As a result, the new play space at Darley Park offers new and more accessible equipment for all ages, from swings and climbing frames to rockers, a Stand-Up Spinner and a sandpit. The play space has also been designed to ensure easy mobility for adults as they provide supervision.
The opening of the Darley Park Play Spaces marks the completion of 20 projects in the Central Highlands region that were funded through round one of the Living Local Fund.
Government provided nearly $1 million to deliver these projects across the region, which have improved local liveability and supported nearly $2 million in local investments.
Ballarat’s Perridak Arts showcases and sells works from local First Nations artists. Supported by the Victorian Government, the First Nations owned and operated space opens doorways for local artists to Victoria’s arts scene and provides a place of recognition, pride and culture for the community.
In Beaufort, funding supported the creation of the Cyril Callister Museum, which celebrates the local icon’s creation of Vegemite and draws visitors to the Pyrenees Shire to learn more about the man and his famous spread.
Over in Tatyoon, the Hawks Football and Netball Club received a grant to install power upgrades on site, supporting the club to expand its local programs to get even more people in the game.
The projects are part of a record $47 billion investment into rural and regional Victoria in just over a decade, supporting regions like the Central Highlands to become even better places to live, work, stay and play.
For more information, go to rdv.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes
“We know what an important role older Victorians play in caring for children and helping parents and guardians stay in the workforce – which is why it’s so wonderful to have a new playspace in Darley for kids and carers.”
“This is one of many projects we’ve supported to enrich the local living experience for people across the Central Highlands, be that in the personal, professional or recreational areas of their lives.”
Quote attributable to Member for Eureka Michaela Settle
“This beautiful new play space at Darley Park is a celebration of community – a place where kids of all ages can explore and play, and where parents, grandparents and carers can connect. It’s a wonderful example of what happens when we invest in projects that truly reflect the needs of local families."
Quotes attributable to Cr Paul Tatchell, Mayor of Moorabool Shire Council
“We asked the community what they’d like to see in this playground and got a lot of fantastic responses, which has resulted in an inter-generational space for all family members to use.”
“The playground has come up a treat and we’re thankful for the Government’s contribution to making it a great space for our community to gather and play.”
