St Kilda and Skinner’s Adventure Playgrounds are unique places which differ from conventional playgrounds. Until recently, they have been safe, supervised play spaces only open to the public during operating hours with Adventure Playground Staff onsite when open and conditions of entry in place. These measures maintained the safety of all those using the space.

Supervised Adventure Playgrounds traditionally feature:

• Trained specialist play workers who facilitate risky play and social inclusion for children and families during operating hours.
• Fixed play equipment and non-fixed objects which children can manipulate and interact with, enhancing creative play.
• Equipment which is not required to meet the strict Australian standards of conventional unsupervised playground equipment. The presence of play workers mitigate certain risks associated with free-play apparatus.

Equipment in Supervised Adventure Playgrounds has the potential to be engaged with in a way that is not possible in other playgrounds. Through play, children are able to challenge themselves on their own terms, develop the important skills of resilience, problem solving and teamwork, and engage in the most important of childhood pursuits- exploration and play. 

St Kilda and Skinner’s Adventure Playgrounds are 2 of only 5 Supervised Adventure Playgrounds in Australia. These much-loved and important places mean different things to different people- urban backyard, community hub, safe play space for children, popular destination for families across Melbourne and further afield.

WE DON'T WANT THE ADVENTURES TO END! 

The unique aspects of both St Kilda and Skinner’s Adventure Playgrounds are being threatened. Under a newly implemented trial, the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) has extended the Adventure Playgrounds’ operating hours- they are now open from dawn till dusk, 7 days a week. The CoPP has not, however, increased the presence of Adventure Playground Staff, leaving these special sites predominantly unsupervised. Although seemingly insignificant, the flow-on effects of these actions have already and will continue to dramatically impact all aspects of these sites. The Adventure Playgrounds are no longer the safe places they have historically been.

Whilst the trial has not resulted in major changes to the play equipment and landscape to date, changes to these features must occur if the Adventure Playgrounds will continue to be mostly unsupervised in order to comply with regulations.

The conditions of entry have been drastically altered and this, along with the fact that the staff are not always on site to ensure the remaining conditions are adhered to, has already had a negative influence:

• Cigarette butts, discarded women’s underwear, used condoms and drug paraphernalia found on or around play equipment.
• The iconic Reading Chair, carved from an old gumtree by one of the founders of the St Kilda Adventure Playground over 20 years ago, has been stolen. 
• Damage to equipment and other items.
• Lone male adult frequently loitering in the St Kilda Adventure Playground.
• People consuming alcohol on the grounds.
• No longer a dog free zone resulting in anxiety for some children and the presence of dog’s droppings near equipment
• The kitchen is no longer always open- less opportunity for people to meet one another/ community connection is weakened/ respite opportunities for parents and carers are reduced.

The community was not adequately forewarned of the CoPP’s intention to implement this trial, nor has the rationale for doing so been outlined. Additionally, the community have been given no indication of how the outcomes of the trial will affect the short and long term future of the Adventure Playgrounds. This has understandably created a sense of anxiety and concern amongst members of the community, both parents and children.

The strong sense of community we all tangibly feel when walking into the Adventure Playgrounds will be lost due to the inevitable changes that will continue to occur if the sites are left largely unsupervised. It’s up to us, the community, to stand up and preserve these magical places for the future generations.

Our Requests:

1.    We want the purpose and culture of the Adventure Playgrounds to continue: a community backyard for local children, young people and their families. 

2.    We want the current service provided by the Adventure Playground staff to stay the same.

3.    If the Adventure Playgrounds are to have their opening hours extended on a permanent basis, they must be staffed during those hours to ensure the safety of children, young people and families, prevent damage from occurring, and allow the kitchen to remain open.

4.    We want all new equipment to comply with Supervised Adventure Playground Standards, not normal playground standards. We don’t want a big upgrade or any major changes to equipment, landscape or buildings. We want current equipment and the equipment that has been removed to be replaced like for like, including reinstating the flying fox, pirate ship and aeroplane.

5.    We demand that the upcoming community consultation, planned for 2022, seeks and acts upon the opinions of the community in relation to the extended opening hours and provision of supervision by the Adventure Playground staff. We require that the community be informed of the inevitable changes due to decreased supervision as part of the consultation process, and that the resulting views of the community inform the future operation of the Adventure Playgrounds.

We don’t need another park. We want both Skinner’s and St Kilda Adventure Playgrounds to remain authentic Supervised Adventure Playgrounds. Our children need a place to connect and engage.

We need your help to protect the Adventure Playgrounds for now and in the future. If we do not, the play of countless children will be affected, communities will suffer, and Australia will lose two of its last remaining authentic Supervised Adventure Playgrounds forever.