About playground upgrades
People often ask us about playground upgrades, and we know it's an important topic. If you have a question we haven't answered, please call us, or email the Parks team.
Updating our playgrounds
We keep a close eye on all our playground equipment to make sure it's safe for everyone. We follow national safety standards and replace equipment when it gets old. Sometimes only part of the playground needs new equipment, so we do a partial renewal.
You might notice fewer pieces when we upgrade a playground. Playground equipment costs more now, and has changed a lot since the old playgrounds were built. Modern playgrounds might have fewer but more exciting pieces that offer more fun in a smaller space.
Old equipment
We replace equipment when it gets old and unsafe. Usually this means we can't just reuse this equipment somewhere else. If it's safe, we try to recycle or reuse materials.
Your ideas
We want your ideas to help make the playground great for everyone. Share your thoughts so we know what you need. We use these ideas to plan new equipment that:
- meets the criteria
- fits our budget
- meets community needs.
Our Parks team work hard to find the best solutions with the money we have.
Shade
We know some playgrounds don’t have enough shade. While shade sails are great, they are expensive, and can reduce how much play equipment we can provide. Instead, we:
- position equipment where we can to avoid sun
- avoid metal surfaces that get too hot
- plant trees for future shade.
Some playgrounds are designed to add shade sails if we get more funding from Council's Long-term Plan process.
Accessibility
We want all kids to enjoy our playgrounds. Sometimes, things like steep paths make it hard to make every playground fully accessible.
But in parks with easy access, we try to have at least one play item for all abilities, like basket swings. Examples are at Kaitawa Reserve, Weka Park, and Haruātai Park. Our goal is to add more accessible playgrounds as we get more funding.
When consultation closes
After consultation, we review all the ideas and what's doable. Your feedback helps us make a plan for our playground suppliers. We work closely with them to match your ideas.
Timeframes
We don't have exact dates for when the upgrades will happen or when new playgrounds will open. We'll keep everyone updated through our Council website, Facebook page, signs at the playgrounds, and our weekly Everything Kāpiti e-newsletter.