Harvey Accessible Playground - Meredin Park Master Plan

Harvey Accessible Playground

Earlier this year, a passionate group of local parents brought a heartfelt request and petition to the Council, advocating for the development of an all-inclusive, accessible playground. Some of these parents shared personal stories about their children with special needs who couldn’t fully enjoy public playgrounds because the existing infrastructure didn’t meet their needs.

Under the inspiring tagline Every Child Deserves to Play, the group highlighted the growing need for a safe, inclusive space in Harvey where families and children of all abilities can connect and play together.

The Master Plan proposes utilising the existing area near Harvey Skatepark and Sir Peter Topham Swimming Pool on Hinge Road in Meriden Park. With a well-established grassed area with mature trees for shade, the location is family-friendly and will create a youth-focused precinct in Harvey.

The heart of this initiative lies in designing a playground that welcomes children of all abilities to play, grow, and learn side by side. The emphasis is on creating a space that fosters inclusion, acceptance, and accessibility, ensuring that no child is left out of the joy of play.

The Meredin Park Master Plan concept (above) highlights the key elements of this project which includes:

• A proposed Fenced Dog Exercise Area.
• All abilities playground and zipline location.
• New public toilets with Male and Female Ambulant, UAT and Nationally accredited Changing Places Facility.
• New carpark to provide connectivity to all features within the precinct.
• Supplementary landscaping to complement new features.
• Future location of BBQ and furniture is yet to be determined.

The proposed project is to be rolled out in two stages over two financial years, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, with State Government funding committed for the Changing Places facility and Federal Government funding for the carparking component of the project.

It's been a long time coming...

A new playground for Harvey has been a long time coming, and the journey to make it happen reflects the community's dedication to creating a vibrant space for families.

Back in October 2012, the idea first came to life when Council discussed the possibility of developing a new playground in Harvey’s Town Centre. The Shire began to work with key stakeholders to gather more information before moving forward. By May 2013, Council proposed setting aside funds in the 2013–2014 budget to design a concept plan for a playground at Snell's Park. This plan included potential funding support from Lotterywest for construction.

Although funding for the concept plan was carried over for several years, it wasn't continued past the 2020–2021 budget. This was due to challenges with securing grant funding and questions about whether Snell's Park, owned by the Public Transport Authority, was the best location for a playground.

With an impending State Government election in 2025, the Shire is lobbying both sides of the political fence for additional funding for the project.

On Tuesday, 26 November 2024, Council endorsed the Meredin Park Master Plan for public comment.

Your Voice Matters!

So, it's over to you to let us know your thoughts about the proposed location. Please go to the Stories tab below to share your feedback with us.

Thank you for taking the time.