Cowaramup Hall Playspace Replacement

Project Background

The current Cowaramup Hall playspace was scheduled for renewal in 2023/24. The renewal involves a full replacement of the playspace, including shade, play equipment and soft fall, with a budget of $70,000.

In May 2023, Cowaramup community members were invited to register their interest to be part of the Design Team to help shape the playspace renewal. The 10 volunteers selected participated in two co-design workshops, collaborating with Shire staff to determine the type of play experience offered, playspace and shade colourways, preferred equipment, and playspace layout.

Two playspace designs were presented to the community in August 2023, with community members asked to vote for their preferred design.

Over 100 locals participated in the survey. The majority of participants indicated the two options provided did not meet their expectations, many saying a playspace that incorporated nature play would be preferred. Based on community feedback we decided to put the renewal project on hold to explore other options, including the South West Capes Lions playspace proposal.

South West Capes Lions Proposal

In 2022, the Shire received a petition from South West (SW) Capes Lions on behalf of the local community calling for an inclusive, nature-based playspace in Cowaramup.

In 2023, the SW Capes Lions presented a detailed proposal involving the construction of an inclusive, nature-based playspace at Pioneer Park. The estimated upfront cost of the playspace was $280,000. The playspace would be a 'destination playspace', meaning it would attract both locals and tourists.

We needed to make a decision on whether to go ahead with the Cowaramup Hall playspace renewal or consider the SW Capes Lions proposal. To make a decision, we presented a number of options to our Council, incorporating feedback we had received through community consultation; operational factors like cost, maintenance, and parking; as well as the needs of the growing Cowaramup community.

Council's Decision

On 24 April 2024, Council indicated they were supportive of nature-based play elements but did not support the Pioneer Park location. Council made the decision to continue with the renewal of the Cowaramup Hall Playspace with the inclusion of nature play elements. Council agreed to double the project budget from $70,000 to $140,000.

The SW Capes Lions proposal was not wholly supported for the following reasons:

• Council could not commit to the level of financial investment proposed by the South West Capes Lions, particularly ongoing maintenance and end-of-life replacement costs.
• The Pioneer Park play equipment is audited annually and is still in good working order. Replacing (or ‘renewing’) this infrastructure is not considered a good use of ratepayers’ funds.
• There is still some work to do around road and path access surrounding Pioneer Park before we encourage more traffic to this area.
• Parking at Pioneer Park is not sufficient for a large destination playground.

The Cowaramup community’s desire for a larger level of investment at the Cowaramup Hall playspace is consistent with Cowaramup demographics (with a larger proportion of families than other towns in the Shire). Council agreed greater investment that initially identified in our Public Open Space Strategy was warranted.

Next Steps

We have received a lot of valuable feedback from our community about the Cowaramup Hall playspace renewal over the past few years.

We will be going out to tender within the next few months using community feedback to help us design an inclusive, nature-based playspace for local families.

What our community told us

Some of the elements our community want us to incorporate into a new playspace include:

• Nature-based
• Swings
• Sensory play
• Sand
• Imaginative play
• Inclusive and accessible
• Seating for parents
• Shade
• Dog tie-up area

We will provide an update on the project as soon as we have a concept design prepared.

For further information, please contact Rachael Bayley on 9780 5289 or email rbayley@amrshire.wa.gov.au