The Byron Shire Council says workers will be knocking down the main part of Byron Bay’s highly popular playground at Apex Park from Monday.
Council issued a media release earlier this week saying the playground was installed in 2007 and has developed significant faults that can’t be repaired for a reasonable cost.
Sea air may be wonderful for the senses but it’s harsh on materials typically used in playgrounds, leading to rust and degradation.
Only the existing swings and spring toys are to stay ‘for now’, the Council statement reads, with no new playground equipment to replace the rest until at least next year.
Apex of playgrounds to leave a void, and disappointment
‘But I love that playground! It’s the best one!’ said seven-year-old Kaea Mohi-Armitage* when he saw the release.
Kaea and his sister are regular holiday visitors to the Byron Shire and usually insist on visiting the Apex Park playground at least every couple of days while in the region.
The playground overlooks Byron’s Main Beach with a view encompassing the Nguthungulli Julian Rocks and famous Cape Byron Lighthouse.
Unlike many other playgrounds on the Northern Rivers, it is generally well shaded thanks to a few well-placed trees.
Plenty of nearby carparking is available, provided drivers are patient in busy periods, as well as Byron’s plethora of food and drink outlets.
While the public toilets aren’t always clean or working well, they’re much closer than most toilets are to playgrounds and their modern layout means it’s easy for adults to keep watch on children queuing.
Twenty-four hour CCTV cameras are positioned above the toilet block, surveying the park and playground on behalf of police.
Buskers and other street performers are also regularly featured in Apex Park and the combination of factors listed makes the playground a hit with tourists and locals alike.
A summer without the familiar set-up is therefore bound to disappoint many and it’s unclear what the temporary visual impact of the void will be.
Byron foreshore redesign to launch next year
Byron Shire Council says it will probably take workers around two weeks to get rid of the ageing equipment and that some sections of the park will be closed in the meantime.
A redesign process for the Byron foreshore will be launched in early 2024, the media release says.
Mayor Michael Lyon is quoted saying that Council will be looking for input from the community about the size and style of the playground that will replace the one being removed.
‘Well, it has to be as good as this one!’ said Kaea.
Nearby parks with playgrounds are at Dening Park, Byron Recreation Grounds, and Railway Park.
The recently opened Jarjumirr Park – Byron Bay Skate Park also continues to attract scores of visitors young and old and is within walking distance of Main Beach.
*Kaea Mohi-Armitage is nephew to reporter Mia Armitage
So sad! It only seems like yesterday those were being installed. And yes, they sure do get a lot of use.
The council have spent what seems to be a ridiculous amount of money installing concrete on the roadside corners all around the town. With the effect of making cycling extremely hazardous. As any kind of cycling lane (usually unmarked!) comes to a complete halt – while the poor cyclist is forced to steer rapidly to their right, and into the the wheels of a car driving along side. Doesn’t anyone in the council design team ever cycle..? Or walk around town for that matter..? Seeing what jobs really need doing..? Someone will eventually be badly injured or killed from this terrible road design. And the council will scratch their heads. It’ll happen. And I’ll unfortunately say “I told you so”. And now they’re ripping out a well loved playground. And leaving nothing for summer. But likely an ugly broken hole. (probably marked with the same hideous orange safety webbing they left behind at the main beach outdoor shower for months on end) Only to eventually to replace it with some hideous structure resembling the plastic lilac ugliness of the one at Brunswick Heads. Meanwhile bins overflow, dogs run amok, pathways crumble, plants die, and toilets fester. The council need to take a proper look at their priorities. And do some general maintenance and beatification before designing an uglier Byron again and again. It costs a bomb and only looks worse than before.
This just sounds weird and typical Byron council incompetence. If you knew this was coming why didn’t you order new equipment last year. Or if you just decided, order now and bloody well leave the stuff in place until the new playground equipment arrives. Geez, it’s not brain surgery…
Yep. Byron Council has been playing this game for a long time. Children don’t need a lot of fancy playstuff. Horizontal ladders, balance beams, climbing ropes, obstactle courses can suffice until the other stuff arrives next year or whenever. There are groups of people that can help get this to happen. Gage the naysayers and untie the doers.
I say bring back the play equipment from the 80s. Helps keep the gene pool clean.
They should do the same kids park like the one at Lennox head beach park
Let’s face it peeps…..these multicoloured tangles of pipers and plastic are an eyesore. Kids playgrounds cluttering up that beautiful park is a travesty. There’s a beach and sand right there….get to it!
Well it’s not racist, homophobia, islamophobic……I’ll just go with ‘grinch’.
Agreed.
While kids are very attracted to the giant slide in Railway Parks $M1.5 redevelopment, after about 2 or 3 slides many of them spend far more time climbing in Railway Parks Coastal Cottonwoods (Native Hibiscus), of which similar plantings at Main beach and other playgrounds would be a good move, both for the kids, the wildlife, and shade, as well as providing carbon draw down for our greenhouse emissions
That’s because modern play equipment is too safe. It’s boring. My daughter prefers climbing from one end of a tractor to the other without touching the ground. The council parked a grader at our front gate last week, and she just had to go over it. Make play equipment dodgy again!