Pictured: Elliston Playspace, all images supplied
Four local playgrounds in Adelaide’s North East are set to receive new equipment and upgrades this summer, making them more welcoming for children of different ages and abilities.
The City of Tea Tree Gully is preparing to renew the playgrounds at Whinnen Reserve in St Agnes, Coulls Reserve in Highbury, Elysium Reserve in Wynn Vale and Pinewood Reserve in Golden Grove, with all four sites more than 25 years old.
Work is already underway at Elysium and Coulls reserves, with both projects expected to be completed before Christmas. Upgrades at Whinnen and Pinewood reserves are scheduled to begin in early 2027, with completion targeted for April.
The projects follow community consultation, with residents invited to share feedback on proposed designs through the council’s Your Say website. The feedback helped shape the plans for each reserve, with the aim of creating play spaces that reflect the needs of their local communities.
“Upgrading and building new playgrounds is all about being a family-friendly city, so people can enjoy an outdoor lifestyle as much as possible,” shared Tea Tree Gully Mayor Marijka Ryan.
“Better parks mean better places for families and children to exercise and have fun together.”
Each playground will have its own mix of features, with plans including climbing equipment, slides, swings, balancing elements and accessible play opportunities.
At Elysium Reserve, families can look forward to a new play structure with a climbing net and slide, a separate junior play structure, an accessible playhouse, balancing logs and a rocker. The swing set will include an accessible basket seat alongside two standard seats.
The reserve will also receive new paths, trees, plantings, upgraded irrigation, picnic settings, public art and signage, while existing rose gardens, the atrium and slate paving will be retained.
Coulls Reserve will feature play structures designed for a range of ages, with slides, swings, play towers, climbing nets, balancing logs, a rocker and sand and water play. Accessible equipment will also be included, alongside renewed shade sails, new plantings, picnic facilities, a shelter and a drinking fountain.
Whinnen Reserve will take on a farm theme, with basket swings, slides, climbing equipment, balancing logs and a rocker. The design will cater to toddlers and older children, with rubber surfacing included where needed to improve accessibility.
Pinewood Reserve will receive new climbing structures, balancing equipment, a spinner, slides and swings, as well as additional rubber surfacing where required.
All four reserves will benefit from new trees and plantings, public art and signage, along with additional seating and picnic facilities.
The upgrades form part of a broader program of playground renewals and improvements across the council area. Hartog and Marwick reserves are also scheduled for upgrades, with completion expected by July 2027.
Further ahead, Maxlay Reserve is slated for a major redevelopment, with ground work expected to begin in early 2027 and completion targeted for April. Plans include junior and senior play spaces with shade sails, a new dog park with separate areas for large and small breeds, pedestrian access improvements, lighting, an irrigated grassed area and new tree planting.
The council is also planning a regional-level playspace at Elliston Reserve, with the first stage expected to begin in February 2027 and finish around July or August. The wider project includes extensive revegetation, picnic facilities, shelters, public toilets, bike trails, a junior pump track and a skate plaza, as well as an at-grade snake run for wheeled sports described by the council as the first of its kind in Australia.
With several projects planned over the coming months, families across Tea Tree Gully can expect a series of refreshed outdoor spaces designed to encourage more play, movement and time together.
For more information, click here.
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