A new park with more than 70 activities is set to be delivered in one of the Sunshine Coast’s newest communities.
Work is about to start on the 1.5ha space at the southern end of the emerging Village Green estate, which is being developed by Peet at Palmview.
Some people have expressed concerns, via social media, that the park could be underused because of a lack of toilets but project director Jonathon Lawson expected it to be a hit.
“It will have a wide range of activities for families and kids of all ages, blended into an extensive natural landscape nearby,” he told Sunshine Coast News.
“To make sure the design is exciting to kids and families we turned to the experts, with Palmview Primary School and Palmview Special School helping us co-design the play equipment.
“Students selected several pieces of equipment and provided design suggestions and feedback to help bring the space to life.”
Village Green Palmview revealed, via Facebook, that the playground would have enough space for more than 100 people and include a “giant slide, climbing structures, flying fox and sky-high tower”.
The slide will be 8m long, the flying fox will traverse 5.5m and the tower will be 7.6m high.
The playground will have three zones with more than 70 activities.
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Mr Lawson said the areas would include the “gentle” Echidna Zone, the “high-energy” Possum Heights and the “calm retreat” of the Wombat Den.
“The design encourages imagination, creativity and community connection among local families,” he said.
“The playground also features inclusive pathways and multiple entry points to ensure accessibility, allowing every child to explore, play and connect in their own way.”
The southern area of the park is set to include a climbing arch, table tennis, handball court and a picnic table.
The centre of the park, which will be the second in the estate, will have a large kickabout area.
The project was generally welcomed by people on social media, although some were disappointed that toilets were not included in the plan.
“Park will be grossly underused,” Noel Soutter said. “You can not take children to a park without toilet facilities. Obviously designed by an individual without children. What a waste of money.”
“Another park without toilets. Makes no sense,” Danielle Watkins said.
Village Green Palmview stated the reason why.
“(Sunshine Coast) Council has a strict hierarchy on when toilets can and cannot be delivered,” it said.
“While there won’t be toilets in this space, they will be included as a part of Village Green’s future District Sports Park.”
A council spokesperson told Sunshine Coast News that Peet was required to deliver a series of parks as part of the community and, while the new park did not require toilets, future parks will.
“Embellishment of the park is guided by the Palmview Structure Plan, which sets out the standards of infrastructure for each park, based on a hierarchy from a local level through to regionally significant,” they said.
“As the subject park is a local level recreation park, public toilets are not a required embellishment. Peet is, however required to deliver additional parks as part of their community, each of which will contain public toilets.”
More than 300 homes have been completed in Village Green, with another 600 in planning.
Mr Lawson said the estate was proving to be popular.
“Village Green forms part of a key growth corridor on the Sunshine Coast but retains a community feel,” he said.
“Residents are known as ‘villagers’ and community design, like this park, enable residents to connect with neighbours and friends in natural, open spaces.
“It is just a short drive from some of the Sunshine Coast’s best beaches. It also offers easy access to retail amenities, specialty services and key transport linkages, making it convenient for families, couples or older residents.
“The community’s open spaces are complemented by an extensive area of natural habitat, with green spaces, parklands and conservation areas permeating the entire estate. The master plan also includes a future district sports park and district recreational park.”
Three schools have been delivered including Palmview State Secondary College, Palmview State Primary School and Palmview State Special School.
Mr Lawson said the new park would be located adjacent to Village Green’s latest release, Stage 4B. Work will start in November and it is expected to open by mid-2026.
“The park doesn’t yet have a name but we’ll keep residents updated as the project progresses,” he said.
