THE Border will get its second super-playground by the end of the year with work to begin at Albury’s Oddies Creek Park in a matter of weeks.
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Federal Government money has fast-tracked a $730,000 makeover to rival Wodonga’s Sumsion Gardens.
It will be the Albury’s biggest and only fenced playground.
Earthworks will raise the ground level by 1m with features to include a wooden tower overlooking the park, 30m flying fox and three-directional swing.
Landscaping will borrow from the Murray River location with mudstone walls and the retention of the existing mature gum trees.
Albury Council will use in-house expertise and labour in a project that has grown from $560,000 when first mooted almost three years ago to now $731,800.
It is expected to be finished before the December school holidays.
Albury Council parks and recreation team leader David Armstrong said the project was ready to go.
“We have only just found out that we have $409,000 in Federal Government funding for the project and we need to check what the requirements are around that money,” he said.
“But we are ready to construct — in-house engineers will do the job, with a mix of our civil and landscaping teams.
“Clearly there will be other bits and pieces that will be supplied by contractors.
“But we are hoping to get started as soon as possible and that could very well be later this month.
“We have mapped out the steps and are now building a time line around that but our target end date is the start of the December school holidays.”
Mr Armstrong said the fenced 3500sq m playground meant the park would still be used as an off-leash area for dogs.
“We wanted to cater for both user groups,” he said.
“The community has been telling us for some time that they wanted a fenced park in Albury and this one ticked all the right boxes, so that means the dogs can stay as well.
“This will be the city’s biggest park, with more activities in a smaller space than Fredericks Park.”
Albury Council will also build a temporary structure across Oddies Creek for heavy machinery access.
Temporary and permanent fencing is expected to be erected around the construction site for the project’s duration.
The super-playground is part of Albury Council’s vision for the area launched in 2006 as the Murray River Experience Master Plan.
Debate saw that plan bounce between Noreuil and Oddies Creek parks for several years winning and losing the support of councillors over that time.
Editorial — page 14
