Milestone . . . Celebrating the signing of contracts for the new Caroline Bay playground are (from left) CPlay committee chairman Owen Jackson, CPlay member Leanne Prendeville, Timaru District Council parks and recreation manager Bill Steans, CPlay project manager Graham Ward, CPlay members Vicki Gould and Brent Birchfield, and Timaru deputy mayor Steve Wills.

Families from Timaru District and beyond will have a new destination for fun this summer after two big CPlay playground project milestones are reached.

After passing the magic 2 million dollar mark in the fundraising journey the CPlay team has appointed Whanganui-based Playground Centre to undertake the detailed design and supply of the play equipment that will be the centrepiece of the new attraction.

The company will supply and install new standard items such as swings, slides, but also design and construct the items designed specifically for Timaru, including the shipwreck, lighthouse and sea-rescue themed flying fox.

CPlay Chair Owen Jackson said that it was fantastic to see more than five years of work now coming to fruition.

“This is the biggest playground project ever undertaken in the South Canterbury Region and it’s been an exhaustive process for our volunteer CPlay design team to get to this stage.

“We have been extremely grateful for the time and energy that our design team Chris & Roselyn Fauth, John Rushton and Graham Ward have given to make sure that we deliver the best product possible at the best price.

“We are continuing to receive some inspiring support from the community as we work our way toward the $2.2 million fundraising goal and that has been incredibly heart-warming.

“On behalf of the CPlay committee thank you to all those financial supporters and well-wishers who have joined us on the journey so far but remember the job is not done yet!

“There is a real buzz happening in our community over the health, well-being and economic benefits this playground will offer the Timaru District.”

Replacing the 1970’s playground that generations of young Timaruvians have enjoyed, work on the $2.2 million project will begin this winter, with initial construction planned to be completed by the end of the year.

The playground design encompasses both local Māori and European history and heritage, and will reflect our district’s strong connection with the sea.

CPlay Project Implementation and Consultant Lead Chris Fauth said that reaching this fundraising target, and signing the supply contract, allowed them to start enabling a new phase of playground design. .

“To handle your donations responsibly CPlay has delayed signing this contract until we were confident, we could afford to construct and install the full range of desired playground items to engage all ages and abilities.

“But this is not the end of our fundraising effort. Through consultation with the community, we learnt that this space deserves to be so much more than simply putting play equipment in the ground.

“There is another level of detailed design that will provide huge benefits around accessibility, family gathering, promotion of arts, culture, heritage, and landscaping. This design makes the space both more functional, but also more imaginative, educational, and interesting and will tell a unique Timaru story.

“We want to source these detailed design elements from the local community, so watch this space for opportunities to put your own stamp on the playground.”

The CPlay design and build contract is being managed on behalf of the committee by Timaru District Council. For more information about CPlay and how you can get involved visit cplay.org.nz