Park project puzzles Plunket

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 429, 24 March 1992, Page 3

Park project puzzles Plunket

Ohakune Plunket people are puzzled, and saddened, at the Ruapehu District Council' s recent work at the Jubilee Park playground. Council staff worked

to improve the state of the park late in February, covering a large area of bark around play equipment. The bark was laid to provide a safer play area for children,

covering hard ground and concrete play equipment bases. Also, it is hoped the bark will prevent the ground from developing into boggy patches in wet weather.

What concerns Plunket is, that while they instigated the work, they wanted to see protective rubber matting laid around the play equipment. The council had only set aside $2200 for the bark, but Plunket had offered to find the shortfall, estimated at between $10,000 and $12,000. The rubber matting is seen as safer and cleaner than bark, and more pertnanent. Plunket secretary Cathy Horne said Plunket had agreed with the council to have the matting installed. She said they had been working to find the extra money needed, and so were dismayed to see the bark laid. Plunket is still determined to see rubber matting installed, but now has to find the full amount because the council has spent its share of $2200 on the bark. Mrs Horne said they were hoping to have the matting installed by winter, but it would probably take longer now. The Plunket committee is also concerned that, while bark is normally an acceptable cheaper alternative, they believe the bark is not the right type. They believe this will lead to the i area becoming wet and boggy in bad weather. Mrs Horne said the committee had been told the work had been completed because it had been left on the works programme. No answer Operations Director John Murrihy told the Bulletin the council had agreed to look at laying rubber matting at the playground. He said the

council staff had worked out costs for the option and that he had written to Plunket in December last year with those figures. The project was in the works programme to be done in February, and as there had been no reply from Plunket on the rubber matting option, the works staff proceeded with the bark. He said with hindsight it may have been better for him to contact Plunket to see what they

had decided. "But not having heard anything for three months, the work went ahead," said Mr Murrihy. He said the council agreed the matting was a better option but that bark was a suitable compromise. "We feel we've achieved a balance between the safety aspect and the cost to council. If we had unlimited funds matting would have been chosen."

Matting could still be laid at a later date, said Mr Murrihy, and the park was safer in the mean time. Mr Murrihy said council staff were looking at ways to improve the existing situation. He said they were considering putting a path through the middle of the bark area for easier access with push chairs. He said the council would continue to look at ways to improve the park.