Arms wide open for new Guide Park

WONTHAGGI residents have been warmly embracing the revamped Guide Park with young and old eager to explore all that it has to offer. 

The redevelopment of the Guide Park and Playspace was carried out by Planned Constructions Pty Ltd, at a cost of $1.77M. 

Bass Coast Shire received support from the Victorian Government with $700,000 funded by Sport and Recreation Victoria and $350,000 from the Growing Suburbs Fund.

The new park includes:

• a regional scale playspace including a mine themed slide tower, flying foxes, a trampoline, carousel, gentle exercise area and nature based play.

• Supporting infrastructure including a drinking fountain, bike racks, pathways, fencing and an accessible barbecue.

• New garden beds, mature trees and irrigation works.

• Changes to the internal road configuration to create more parking and improved vehicle access.

Judith Alcorn and David White of Wonthaggi were busy exploring the Guide Park last week, and chatted with the Sentinel-Times on their thoughts. 

“We’re delighted, the plants are stunning,” they said.

“The mine tower is great, it looks fantastic. 

“Some people have been criticising the cost of it, but they haven’t seen the extent of the works.

“Plus all the designs and permits that have gone into it.”

They highlighted that the timing of the new park coincided perfectly with the expanded Wonthaggi Hospital, as it will give families plenty of options and space to keep the kids entertained during hospital visits. 

Other features of the new park include: water taps that lead through to different channels; extensive sand play with sand pully, sieve and tubes; young children’s play area with small play tower, log steppers and balance beams; nature play with tunnels, timber representing the train line with stone pathways; and monkey bars to challenge older children. A general exercise area is designed for older adults and rehabilitation too.