General News
4 July, 2025
Council adopt new strategy
A decade of play in the Central Goldfields Shire has been outlined through the council’s Play Space Strategy.
Adopted in last month’s council meeting, the Draft Play Space Strategy provides council with a full assessment of their 22 play spaces alongside a framework for the next 10 years.
Through background research, site assesments, and input provided by community and key stakeholders, the report aims to be a comprehensive assessment of the shire’s play opportunities.
Earlier this year, Central Goldfields Shire mayor Grace La Vella said the strategy guides the council both now and into the future.
“We know play spaces are more than just equipment and we want families, carers, children and young people of all cultures, identities and abilities to use and enjoy the play spaces in our shire,” she said.
“[The Play Space Strategy] gives us a framework for which to work from for the next 10 years — this will help with maintaining the existing facilities we have and advocacy.”
Councillor Liesbeth Long endorsed the strategy, highlighting the importance of play for the shire’s youngest residents.
“Play is such an important part in the development of early childhood as it allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strengths,” she said.
“Play is also important in healthy brain development and it is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them.”
The strategy’s recommendations, however, partly depend on funding availability when financial challenges and council’s “tight budgets” seem to be the norm.
If all the recommendations were to be completed, at a high level estimate, it would cost over $5 million.
However, following the community’s keen interest and councillors’ unanimous vote, play spaces seem to be a resource that’s in demand.
The now adopted Draft Play Space Strategy followed the council’s Active Central Goldfields Recreation and Open Space Strategy 2020 to 2029 (ROSS).
The document recommended the council complete a play space inventory review and utilise the results to develop a play space strategy.
The Central Goldfields Shire received a $30,000 grant from the Victorian Government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund plus $45,000 from council to undertake the Play Space Strategy.