We're upgrading Maitland Park Playspace

Maitland Park is a significant greenspace in the heart of Maitland, and a regional recreation destination supporting organised events, leisure, and play.

On 26 March 2024 Council endorsed an indicative concept design for Maitland Park playspace with the inclusion of water play, a focus on shade, disability inclusion, and additional parking. The concept design proposes to redevelop the existing playspace increasing its size from 0.2ha to 0.6ha, while retaining all existing canopy trees and substantial green areas that are fundamental to the existing significant character of Maitland Park.

In late 2024 we chatted to community about the concept design and received lots of great input to consider as part of the design. We're working on revising the concept now based on this feedback and preparing the project to be 'shovel-ready' so we can seek funding to see this project come to life. Thanks to everyone who got involved.

Playspace design

The concept design has been developed from recent community conversations on playspaces and aquatic facilities. The inclusive concept design seeks to provide a range of play experiences for different ages, as well as being challenging, accessible, intergenerational, creative, robust, and which minimises impact on the natural environment.

The following principles are intrinsic to the concept design:

  • Inclusive: provides equal access and varied play opportunities for all abilities, gender, sex, age, or background not just access, providing a sense of belonging and a place to find acceptance and be involved. Play experiences include sensory, sound, creative and active play items. Council is committed to making places more inclusive.
  • Accessible: mainly addresses the movement needs of those with disabilities.
  • Intergenerational: focused on creating spaces that provide common activities for both the young and old to support informal physical activity throughout a lifetime.
  • Sustainable: supports use of natural, eco-friendly materials and practices, supports recycling, healthy ecosystems, protects natural areas, and helps children to build a life-long connection to nature and community.
  • Indigenous and cultural theming: may be incorporated throughout the playspace in the arrangement of items that enrich the indigenous culture and tell stories of the local site, Wonnarua history, European history and Hunter River history such as ‘Bu-Un’ (place of the heron waterfowl), gathering ground, rainbow Serpent who is responsible for all the water dreaming tracks, rivers, streams, lakes and waterholes, and the rainforest.

Concept design

View the concept design

Play types

  • Nature play

    Playing in nature is important for developing capacities for creativity, symbolic play, problem solving and intellectual development, helping children to acquire gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination as they can touch, play and manipulate natural materials.

    Features may include:

    • Use of natural elements like timber, stone, sand, soil and water, e.g. mud/sand pit, water fountains, animal sculptures,
    • Log steppers, balance log,
    • Timber teepee, totem pole

  • Adventure play

    This hero item will provide an iconic attraction to the site using a theme that is selected by the community. Adventure play enables children to learn from their mistakes, build resilience, help understand their limits, teaches risk assessment, self-regulating behaviours and important social skills.

    Features may include:

    • Climbing structure
    • Slides at different levels
    • Tunnel
    • Balancing and bouncing pieces
    • Spinners & carousels
    • Flying fox
    • Swings – including wheelchair accessible swing

  • Toddler active play

    Toddler active play is self-guided play where children learn how the world around them works by exploring their surroundings and testing their own skills. Encouraging self-guided play allows toddlers to make their own decisions and experience new situations. both of which are fundamental elements of active play and a healthy part of early childhood development.

    Features may include:

    • Medium tower with slides
    • Musical items
    • Themed play
    • Trampolines
    • Swings
    • Digital play items

  • Water play

    Water play activities help to develop and strengthen children's gross and fine motor skills. Water play is an open-ended activity, which allows children to make discoveries and explore outcomes. Actions like pouring, scrubbing, squirting, stirring and squeezing are all important movements that lead to increased fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination,

    Features may include:

    • Water splash
    • Water channel, water pump and gate
    • Bridge
    • Stabilised boulders

  • Kids junior bike area

    Riding and rolling/scootering require the coordination of multiple motor skills, such as pedalling, steering, and balancing, and these skills contribute to overall motor development in children, boosting a child's self-confidence and self-esteem.

    Features may include:

    • Learn to ride or junior pump track
    • Seating
    • Picnic shelter

What can the community influence?

Community can influence the following:

  • Playground priorities
  • Possible inclusions and exclusions in the design
  • Overall theme/look and feel of the playground
  • Preference for fencing
  • Water play duration