Two years after the closure of Wangaratta’s Yarrunga pool, the question of what to do with the site remains contentious for nearby residents.
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The issue was raised again at Tuesday night’s Wangaratta Council meeting during discussions around a 10-year draft “play space strategy”, looking at existing and future children’s playgrounds.
Tarrawingee mum Anne Dunstan drew attention to a section of the draft strategy, which noted “the demand for a children’s garden received 38 votes as part of a separate consultation for the Yarrunga pool site”.
“There still has been no public response to that feedback from that. The councillors have made a decision to do an off-leash dog park in that area, without community consultation,” she said.
The councillors have made a decision to do an off-leash dog park in that area, without community consultation.
- Anne Dunstan
Community wellbeing director Jaime Carroll said the dog park idea came from the public.
“A children’s playground was one of the major priorities that came out, but there were a number of other uses for that site that also ranked very highly, including a dog park,” she said.
“What became evident was that site actually offered a huge amount of potential in terms of being able to co-locate a number of different elements on the site, given the size.”
Ms Carroll said the council would address a possible children’s garden and playground, along with other uses for the old Yarrunga pool site, in a master plan to be released early next year.
Councillors unanimously endorsed placing the “play space strategy” out for public comment for 42 days.
The council had paid consultant company @Leisure, which has experience in developing play space strategies, to create the plan in partnership with its staff.
Community feedback included a need for more parent seating at playgrounds, a cafe, cleaner toilets and slides that were not too hot for children.
“Play in its many forms is significant in the healthy development of children and young people,” the draft strategy stated. “Parks and play spaces play a vital role in encouraging children and families and other community member to play out of doors and thus make a considerable contribution to health and wellbeing.”
