About the space

River Park Reserve is located on Moorfield Terrace in Allenby Gardens. It includes a playground, tennis court, basketball and netball half-court, irrigated lawn area and large open spaces, access paths (including to Torrens Linear Park), shelters, picnic settings and seating and BBQs.

Dogs can be exercised here off-leash under effective control, away from the playground area.

The playground is a higher-level 'Neighbourhood' playground. Neighbourhood playgrounds have good quality play equipment and an appealing landscape, with some special more unique or innovative play features for young people to enjoy.

Other projects related to this reserve:

• Irrigation Renewal - to be completed this financial year (2024/25)
• West Hindmarsh, Hindmarsh & Welland Your Neighbourhood Plan - A key project of this YNP was to Upgrade River Park Reserve with proposals including another new tennis or basketball court, a cricket practice net. Community suggestions included public toilet facilities, irrigation of grassed areas and a nature play space. All feedback received about River Park Reserve under this consultation will be considered in the playground renewal. If additional funding is available to deliver some of these upgrades, we will let you know through the playground renewal project updates.

What's happening?

We are replacing the existing play structure/fort and 2 swing sets in the River Park Reserve play spaces in Allenby Gardens late-2025. We're doing this because this equipment is old and should be replaced to ensure its safe and meets your needs, and the needs of future residents. We are also intending to upgrade some of the existing park amenities at the same time.

The new playground design and reserve upgrade is complete. Feedback you provided during consultation and hearing how you love to play helped us to make decisions about what equipment and features to include, and the look and feel of the playground. We also prioritised reserve improvements requested from the community in the Your Neighbourhood Plan consultation.

There's still a bit to do before we can start replacing the playground. We expect we will start removing and replacing the existing playground 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 River Park Reserve playground engagement page. On this page, 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 River Park Reserve playground.

If you are interested in reading about how we made design decisions for this playground, you can read the River Park Reserve Playground Design Checklist which explains how the playground has been designed for everyone and all the things that were considered.

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.

Other comments and requests

• Top comment theme was that there isn't enough variety of equipment, and the play area/features are not big enough. Many would like to see use of the surrounding reserve in play elements eg water play, nature play, 'hands on' type opportunities.
• Playground needs to be more interesting and age-inclusive with some bigger or larger features.
• Flying fox, trampoline and more slides were highly requested, followed by monkey bars/agility bars, climbing equipment and bigger/taller play structure.
• Request for more than one senior swing, seesaws or rockers, and nature play eg teepee, forts and balance sticks.
• Request for more shade, specifically in the afternoon.
• Better access to play equipment from path (playground edging and bark), and level pavers.

Opportunities for future reserve improvement:

• New/replacement BBQs
• Water play
• Perimeter fencing (with gate)
• Lawn and irrigation improvements
• Extra tennis court and/or tennis lighting
• Toilets
• More or better seating
• Fitness equipment
• New gazebo
• Better maintenance of amenities.