Port Macquarie-Hastings playground upgrades will pack a fun punch

Outdoor equipment including gyms and playgrounds can be used with caution, with people encouraged to wipe down the equipment, and outdoor pools are open with restrictions.

While Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will be guided on how and when that happens, its crews have been busy while playgrounds have been shut to carry out some exciting upgrade works.

A major $3.192 million upgrade of Stuart Park is well underway and due for completion in July.

The spectator hill is almost complete, more of the perimeter footpath around the grounds has been finished, Wood Street road resurfacing is on track, the amenities are in the final fit out stage and the new Wood Street amenity is under construction.

The following stages have been completed - a new petanque court, children's playground, accessible access, amenities, shelters, seating, picnic tables, barbecues and bubblers, off-leash dog park, two outdoor multi-purpose courts, Hibbard Drive entrances and new LED sports lighting.

Funding for this major project has been provided by the NSW Government under the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund with Council contributing $800,000.

A scooter pump track, tunnel slide, water play area and more picnic spaces will be a feature of an upgraded and all-inclusive play space at Town Beach.

Works are underway on the playground upgrade at the skate park end of the beach which has been given a financial boost by way of a $200,000 grant from the state government's Everyone Can Play initiative.

It will be matched dollar for dollar by council with a further $215,000 for the project allocated in the 2019-20 operational plan budget.

The total project costs is $615,000.

A playground upgrade and bank protection works are complete at Settlement Point. New inclusions are a slide, climbing ropes, balancing equipment, swings, spinner and a shade cover.

Blair Reserve Playground at Lighthouse Beach is soon to become an all-inclusive play space.

New wheelchair accessible facilities including a bubbler, picnic table, footpath, seesaw and spinner are included, along with a new monkey bar, log climbing net, a timber cubby house with shop window and slide plus a balancing log feature.

Council is also upgrading the gardens, swings, rope climbing structure and basketball hoop. The project is jointly funded between council and the NSW Government's Everyone Can Play Program and is expected to be finished by June.

Meanwhile, Ruins Way Playground (near Little Fish Cafe) is an existing playground that will be upgraded in the coming months as part of the 2019-2020 operational plan.

Rocks Ferry Reserve Playground in Wauchope has also been included in the 2019-2020 operational plan for a $102,500 upgrade this financial year.

The proposed upgrade for this playground is to include additional play elements, footpath connections, bubbler and planting, along with an upgrade to the existing swing and embankment slide

And while the bowl was empty, council gave the Town Beach skate park surface a pressure clean, repaired minor damage and applied a fresh coat of concrete sealer to help maintain the popular facility's surface.

Stage 1 relaxing of restrictions in NSW also means up to five people visit a home, including children.

Outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people will also be allowed, such as a physical training session or sitting down in a park.

Restaurants and cafes will also be allowed to have up to 10 patrons at a time, while ensuring they maintain social distancing of 1.5 metres between people and four square metres space per person.

For some very small venues, this may mean only two or three people are able to be inside.

A total of 10 guests will be allowed at weddings, and up to 20 people at indoor funerals and up to 30 at outdoor funerals will be allowed.

Religious gatherings and places of worship can also welcome up to 10 worshippers.

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