Question - Parks and play spaces

Question

Number
1293
Subject
Parks and play spaces
(materials)
Asked by
Lawder, Nicole
Directed to
Minister for Transport and City Services
Question asked on
13 June 2023
Answer due on
30 July 2023
Question asked
  1. What is the preferred base for playgrounds, that is material used under play equipment, including tanbark, rubber matting, or some other soft fall material.
  2. How many playgrounds in the ACT have (a) tanbark under them and can the Minister list them by location and (b) some other material under them, including what material is used and a list of each by location.
  3. Does the ACT Government have a policy on ground covering material for new playgrounds; if so, can the Minister provide a copy.
  4. Have there been reported instances of needles/syringes found in tanbark in play spaces; if so, can the Minister advise how many, including the location of each instance, for the past five financial years.
  5. Have there been reported instances of injuries at playgrounds; if so, can the Minister provide, for each instance, the location, type of injury and number of injuries, for the past five financial years.

Answer

Answer Published
26 August 2023
Answered by
Minister for Transport and City Services
Answer

(1) The preferred base or soft fall material used under play equipment in Canberra is either an organic soft fall (tanbark) or a rubber impact attenuating surface (rubber soft fall).

(2) (a) 478

(2) (b) 57 

There are a small number of playgrounds that use sand, gravel or natural soil in general play areas not used as a soft fall material. A list of playgrounds and their locations is provided at 
Attachment A.

(3) The ACT Government utilises Municipal Infrastructure Technical Specifications 08B and 08C which refers to Australian Standard 4685.1 (Playground Equipment and Surfacing) when selecting soft fall for use in new playgrounds. These documents are provided at Attachment B and C.

(4) Records over the last two financial years have found one reported instance of needles/syringes found in playground tanbark. A report of capped syringes in tanbark was lodged in relation to a playground located on Crofts Crescent in Spence. It is not possible to review data from previous years due to a change in the records system. 

(5) Yes, however, there is no single data source to accurately respond to this question. 

Attachments