10 reasons why it’s important this project is driven and supported by the community:

1 Brings us together for the benefit of children.
2 Community-driven efforts are often the best approach to solving community issues.
3 Creates, co-operation and relationships which builds community resilience.
4 Taps into strengths of people in our community which increases our adaptive capacity.
5 Creates sense of ownership and encourages responsibility and accountability for the protection of the space.
6 Raises community leadership and empowerment.
7 Enables community resilience to prepare, absorb, recover from, and adapt to adverse events.
8 Invests in resilient design and offers other economic, environmental, and social benefits, for healthier individuals and better community wellbeing.
9 A destination playground will help the economy by drawing locals and visitors to the area.
10 Playing is one of the most important things for children’s physical development and you can feel great helping contribute to this.

At the end of the day, we are helping to raise funds to support the Council, as there are limited funds available from rates to spread across the 43 playgrounds in the District. By donating to CPlay you will contribute to an important legacy, give back to those who have supported you, and receive 33% tax back on your donation.

Can you help us create a happier, healthier, vibrant community

From kai moana food gathering and whaling, to shipping, concerts and fairs, Caroline Bay has served many generations in different ways. It is a place to be enjoyed by our community, a place where people can connect not just with each other but also with our local environment and history. 

The equipment at Caroline Bay is getting old and was installed in the 60's. There’s a better understanding of children’s needs now, and it’s time to break from the tradition and offer more stimulating and inclusive play opportunities. Taking an inclusive play approach ensures we create an equitable play experiences that a variety of ages and abilities can use. and helping to share stories of our past will help us and our children and youth better know ourselves.

Our Goal: To help our community play and connect by upgrading facilities to meet current safety standards, offer a fun play experience for a range of abilities and ages.

 ABOVE: Playground equiptment current at Caroline Bay Playground, some will be re-used or re-purposed. The paddling pool is not part of the CPlay project.

The opportunity:

• People are looking for a day out experience for the whole family.
• Children want more challenging play equipment that stimulates physical and mental activity. 
• Play equipment needs to be strong and resistant to damage.
• High quality playgrounds need to be accessible and have a range of other supporting facilities such as shade, toilets and adequate car parking.
• A destination playground will be a major attraction to residents, visitors and tourists.
• Our current playground does not cater effectively for children and caregivers with disabilities. Lack of access or suitable inclusive equipment.
• Poor drainage that needs to be addressed. Doing the drainage and the contouring of the playground before the new equipment goes in makes sense.
• Lack of suitable shade, drinking fountains and comfortable seating/dining areas.
• Equipment that is not enticing for children over the age 12. Lack of quality options.
• Create learning opportunities to give a greater knowledge of our cultural heritage both European and Māori in regards to Caroline Bay and maritime history of the region. This gives us a greater sense of who we are, where we came from, where we are going, how we are going to get there.
• To provide physical attributes so that it challenges all ages and enables people to test themselves no matter what their capabilities but in a manner that still keeps them safe.
• To include textural elements such as a water play area and other natural landscapes that require children to use their imagination enabling them to test their mind and cognitive capabilities
• To incorporate environmental elements such as sustainability and global climate issues into the design process.
• To have fun in an engaging and safe environment and enhance our general well being as a community.
• Economic benefits as a flow on effect from a quality inclusive destination playground.

A destination playground will require input and assistance from the community to ensure the development is fit for location and become a treasure for the community.

We are excited about the next chapter in the story of Caroline Bay, helping the area to be enjoyed by all of our community for many more generations to come. The new play space will be meaningful, practical, inclusive and fun. It will also be a special place to help our locals and visitors connect with each other, our culture, history, arts and environment.

We assessed the Caroline Bay playground and visited all of the Districts 43 playgrounds and considered what was missing and could be better. The equipment at Caroline Bay is getting old and was installed in the 60's. There’s a better understanding of children’s needs now, and it’s time to break from the tradition and offer more stimulating and inclusive play opportunities.

We want everyone to be able to play together. Taking an inclusive play approach ensures we create an equitable play experiences that a variety of ages and abilities can use. This will break down barriers to physical access and social participation. Creativity and innovation will be needed to achieve this when considering equipment, layout and surfacing.
We asked our community what mattered to them, what they wanted and needed through far reaching consultation. We:

• are excited a member of Arowhenua Runanga joined our committee,
• met with over 30 community groups, these included kids, caregivers, educators, tourism, history and arts representatives, disability, health and well-being sectors and local families who have
• reviewed accessibility at other playgrounds,
• went to public events to engage with the public and ran surveys,
• engaged with public via social media,
• consulted the TDC along the way to ensure we supported their vision, goals and requirements.

We have genuinely taken everyone’s feedback on board to define our brief and considered the child, youth, environment, and community.

46,296 people live in The Timaru District
(as of 2018 census)

61,955 people live in South Canterbury
(2020/21 projection)

8289 are u15 yrs living in the Timaru District
(as of 2018 census)

3611 people in Timaru District have “activity limitations”, 516 are u15 yrs
(as of 2018 census)

If one child or caregiver is unable to effectively access and use a space it limits use of the space for the whole family. Many in our community may be missing out. We can improve this by having a playground that is fun for all ages and abilities. Our space will be integrated meaning all abilities will play together. The regional availability of public play spaces that provide more than a token level of inclusiveness are limited.

277 families in Canterbury involved Grandparents raising grandchildren full time and permanently. This figure doesn’t include grandparents who help with childcare part time while parents work or over school holidays etc.
(as of 2018 census)

$161M was spent by visitors in Timaru District for year to June 2020. Up from $141m from the previous year. (Venture Timaru)
Families are one of the key target market groups that we attract as visitors to Timaru District. The new playground adds a wonderful asset to our tourism offering. A new playground for all ages and abilities will attract regional visitors, make tourists stop and stay longer and locals won’t need to drive to Christchurch (Margaret Mahy) or further to enjoy an amazing playground space.