6 March 2019
Pirongia children will soon have a brand new playground with Waipa District Council confirming the design for a junior play area in Rangimarie Reserve on Franklin Street.
The new playground is expected to cost $100,000 and will be joint-funded by Council and the Pirongia community. Construction is expected to begin in late-March and will replace the existing playground near the public toilets.
Council's community facilities manager Sally Sheedy said the new play area will deliver a great recreational space for Pirongia.
The current playground in Pirongia needs an upgrade and this gives us the perfect opportunity to create a new space from the ground up. We've been working with local community groups to incorporate their needs for the play space and can't wait to get construction underway.
The new play area will include swings, slides, balance beams and climbing equipment. Miss Sheedy said staff were hoping to partially fence the playground, but this is dependent on community funding.
The playground is the first step in a host of positive changes for Pirongia this year including path upgrades and new toilets. Last year, Council announced new public toilets would be built in Pirongia with half of the $500,000 cost funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's (MBIE) Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
You can keep up to date with the Rangimarie Reserve playground progress at waipadc.govt.nz/MajorProjects.
Council already has budget allocated across the district for further playground upgrades in Thompson Street, Leamington and Centennial Park, Te Awamutu. These are currently in the planning stages.
Image caption: Plans for a junior playground in Pirongia's Rangimarie Reserve. Fencing is dependent on community funding.
