About the space
The Avenue Reserve is located along The Avenue and Gateshead Street in Athol Park. It includes a playground (accessible through the reserve or via Gateshead Street/Blackwood Court), shelter with picnic setting and seating, bins, drinking fountain, lighting and a large, lawned open space area with irrigation and perimeter landscaping.
Dogs can be exercised in the reserve area off-leash (under effective control) but must stay away from the playground area. Parking is available near the playground off Blackwood Court or the surrounding streets.
The playground is a 'Neighbourhood' playground. Neighbourhood playgrounds should have good quality 'standard' play equipment, an appealing landscape, and may include some special play features for young people to enjoy.
What's happening?
We are replacing the entire playground in Avenue Reserve from late-2025. We're doing this because the equipment is old and should be replaced to ensure its safe and meets your needs, and the needs of future residents.
The new playground design is complete. Your feedback and sharing how you love to play helped us to make decisions about what equipment and features to include, and what it would look and feel like.
There's still a bit to do before we can start replacing the playgrounds. We expect we will start removing and replacing the existing playgrounds from late 2025/early 2026 and we will do our best to have them completed by end-June 2026. We will share an update with project followers and participants when we're getting ready to start work.
To find out what we asked you to share when feedback on the current playground was open, and things in the playground (or reserve) that we don't consider in a playground replacement visit The Avenue Reserve playground engagement page. There, you can also see some examples of other recent playgrounds replacements we have finished across the City that could be similar to what we can do at Avenue Reserve playground.
New playground design
Click on the plans below to see them in a larger view. If you are interested in reading about how we made design decisions for this playground, you can read the Avenue Reserve Playground Design Checklist which explains how the playground has been designed for everyone and all the things that were considered.
What you shared
We asked you to share who you visit the reserve with and why.
We asked how you like to play, your favourite play activities, and what you like about the playground now and what you would change about it.
You also shared which was your favourite playground from images of recent playgrounds we have replaced, shared your theme ideas for the new playground, and anything else about the playground or reserve that you would like us to know about now, or to consider in future if we are making improvements.
Summary of feedback
Your top 5 favourite play types
Other comments and requests
- Top comment theme was that there isn't enough variety of equipment for different ages. Equipment is limited or that there is not enough. Need more interesting, age-inclusive, all-ability equipment.
- Some concerns over safety of existing equipment.
- Mixed comments on play surface - more/less rubber soft fall vs more/less bark chip.
- Natural materials / cool in summer.
Opportunities for future reserve improvements:
- Family picnic/BBQ area
- Drinking fountain
- Fitness equipment
- More shelter and shade
- Bench seating
- Water play and a zip line (large/long flying fox)
- Separate animal exercise/fenced area
