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The new Brooms Head playground includes a three-bay swing, double rocker, multi-person spinner, slide tower, shade structure, seating wall and lawn, and connecting paths. CVC’s intends to have the playground open for Easter. Image: CVC

Shade for Brooms Head playground

Geoff Helisma | Clarence Valley’s councillors have approved an extra $65,000 to be spent on erecting shade over the new playground at Brooms Head. Councillors unanimously endorsed staff’s request to source the funding from the Clarence Coast Reserve Trust (CCRT), without discussion, at the February 21 meeting of Clarence Valley Council (CVC). They also endorsed the playground’s “detailed design arrangement … including the shade structure”, as a result of “community interest in the provision of shade over recreation facilities and requests raised during the consultation for the concept plan”. The final concept design for the Brooms Head Holiday Park’s redevelopment, including the relocated playground, was adopted at the December 2017 council meeting. At that time councillors had approved a budget of $91,680.45; of which $47,900 is grant funding. At the February meeting, staff advised councillors that the “cost to complete this work exceeds the available budget” and successfully sought the $65,000 variation “to complete the works in line with community expectations”. According to CVC’s Asset Management Plan (AMP), the playground is valued at $140,000 and, while the playground will be completed for approximately $17,000 less than that for $122,932.48, the additional shade over the “play space” will cost $31,168; a total of “$154,100.48, requiring a budget variation of $62,420.03,” the report to council stated. “It is recommended that a budget variation of $65,000 be sought to complete the works in line with community expectations, AMP standards and Playground policy.” The report to council stated that the work should have been completed by March 5, “to avoid peak park visitor numbers and to have the new asset and relocated sites ready for autumn holidays / Easter”.