Thornlands Community Park

Stage 1 works at the new Thornlands Community Park are underway, with Stage 1a nearing completion and expected to open to the public by December 2018, subject to completion of Stage 1b works and any wet weather delays. Stage 1a works include a car park, public amenities block and entry road works.

Stage 1b works are underway. This includes a circuit path with connections to the existing cycleway, multiuse open space recreation area, installation of picnic shelters, seating, barbecue, water bubbler and landscaping.

All future stages of works and timeframes will be subject to Council’s future budget considerations and prioritisation.

Thanks to your feedback, construction will soon commence for Stage 1 of the new Thornlands Community Park.

Council has undertaken extensive community engagement around the design of this new Community Park located on Council land, on acquired land bordering Cleveland Redland Bay Road.

Have your say at a Fun Day in the Park with Council consultants and Cr Paul Golle and tell us what you would love to see in the play space and youth zone at your new park.

Join us onsite at 272-282 Cleveland-Redland Bay Road, Thornlands (corner Waterline Boulevard) from 9am to 12pm on Saturday, March 17. Enjoy a free sausage sizzle and jumping castle for the kids.

So far we've gathered feedback from the students of local schools about what they would like to see in the Stage 2 design of the playground and youth zone – now it is your turn.

Get involved by:

· coming to the Fun Day in the Park,

· using the Brainstormer tool to give us your ideas,

· completing the project survey

Design of Stage 1 of the Thornlands Community Park is underway following initial community consultation in February to March this year. Feedback was provided to the community in June about the key features engagement participants wanted.

Council is now carrying out second round of community engagement about the park, including a new online survey on the features children and young people want included in the playground area and youth spaces.

Council Officers have already begun by talking to children and young people at nearby schools about the kind of spaces they want to promote - social interaction, play, physical activity or accessible connectivity?

The survey will remain open over the summer.

We want children and young people to tell us what kind of experiences they hope to have in the completed park, including:

• performances in the park
• public art
• accessible play equipment
• picnic facilities
• different types of play equipment
  
• small wheeled bike and scooter play
• BMX rideable terrain
• ball sports
• climbing, or
• 'parkour' elements.

In February and March 2017, Council carried out community consultation with locals to find out what features they think Thornlands Community Park should include.

Highlights

• An Open Day was held where the park will be, with over 100 community members taking part in conversations with the local Councillor and Council Officers about the proposed layout and their vision for the space.
• More than 40 people participated on the online brainstormer activity by adding their ideas for the space or voting on proposed ideas.
• More than 70 people engaged with Council on social media to share their ideas and vision for the park.

Top activities voted for by the community

1. Water play

2. Large scale exciting and all-abilities playground

3. Coffee kiosk area and park activities

4. Green time not screen time (no wi-fi in the park)

5. Shade

6. Paths and tracks

Key Messages

Water Play

There was a strong message from the community requesting a water park in South East Thornlands Park. There are a number of things Council must consider before installing a water park in the Redlands. This includes a compatible location and the ongoing costs of maintaining and operating a water park. While there is no scope in this project to install a Water Splash Park, a small natural play water element is planned with water pumps and creek/water channels.

Playground

Council recognises that there is a strong message from the community for interesting and exciting playgrounds. The proposed design will aim to provide a new and exciting playground at a scale not previously seen in the Redlands. The playground will be fully fenced and will cater to all abilities and ages. Picnic facilities and public amenities access will be included within the fenced area of the playground and circuit track for young children. Further targeted consultation will be conducted to develop the design of this space.

Shade and Seating

The community expressed the importance of providing plenty of shade, seating and picnic facilities within the park. We recognise the importance of sun safety and the proposed design will aim to maximise shade through tree plantings, picnic shelters and shade structures over the playground. Picnic facilities will be provided throughout the park – including, BBQ’s, drinking fountains, shelters and platform seats to facilitate picnics within the park.

Dog Off Leash Area

Council have heard the Community’s concerns surrounding the Dog off Leash area and the potential conflicts between children, wildlife in the adjoining reserve and families using the park. We have proposed a new dog off leash area down the road at Freshwater Park which provides this function to the local community.

Youth Zone now Active Lifestyle

We received a message from the community that they would like to see a more integrated and multi use space in the Youth Zone – rather than a dedicated skate or BMX park. The proposed design for this area will incorporate a full size multi purpose court, parkour items, plaza space with seating and small wheeled features creating a dynamic space that caters to a wider range of youth users. Further targeted consultation will be conducted to develop the design of this space.

The Thornlands community park area borders Cleveland Redland Bay Road and includes provision for a range of facilities and activities that will contribute significantly to local amenity and liveability.

Expected features

• Large multi-age playground (all-abilities fenced playground)
• Picnicking areas, including shelters for small and large groups
• Physical exercise opportunities, including stations and running markers on a 350m circular path
• Water refill station
• Dog off-leash fenced area
• Public toilets
• Events space, including performance stage
• Commercial use space
• Carpark (in addition to on street parking)
• Free Wi-Fi
• Moreton Bay Cycleway connections

Get involved

We want your feedback on the draft park layout for the new Thornlands community park.

Become involved by:

• Using the brainstormer tool to tell us your feedback on the draft park layout
• Registering to contribute to the conversation online
• Asking us a question about the project
• Joining Council consultants and Cr. Paul Golle for a sausage sizzle plus face painting and a jumping castle to keep the kids entertained while you chat to us about the new Thornlands Community Park on Saturday February 25 between 9am-12pm