After an OIA request and contacting the Education Ombudsman we can finally see the plans

I had to submit an OIA request and because there was no response from Duncan Millward, as required, I engaged the Education Ombudsman. I am still waiting on the costings for this $300,000 project from a second OIA request.

The documents (read all closely):

Original design (signed off by the board July 2021) Looks great:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCD3AlyKJk7wBKzFnXlnGNMKPI5Khosy/view

KEY REASONS WHY THIS IS NOT THE PLAYGROUND(S) WE ARE GETTING:

Smaller playground design was removed from the plan, as deemed too expensive (although Duncan has since told me this playground and nature garden may one day end up with a building on it).

Main playground with the trees: Attaching a raised boardwalk against the trees was deemed too expensive and dangerous (ok, fair enough, so don't do that). The rest of it is a great design overall and reuses much of the current playground within the shade trees.

THE PLAYGROUND WE ARE GETTING (signed off November 2021):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14GOPQU7_TgEg7Vcb2oONOYPG9ObgGFge/view

No more shade trees at all. Mostly coloured rubber matting, shade sails and two little token trees that will never grow large (hemmed in). The playground equipment is vague, at best, and looks uninteresting with no slide, as per children's desires (Duncan admitted to me it might not look very impressive... and now I see why).

THIS IS ALL ABOUT GETTING RID OF THE TREES (response January 2023)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EIugtJvLaEwxsuOVie5wPMmmuxyklnWZ/view

This is a cobbled together report designed to justify the removal of all four trees (I asked to keep two as shade trees) and it uses some of my reasoning against me. The drainage issue could have been addressed using some of the $300,000 fund. I'd suggest keeping bark away from the drains and ensuring the needle drop falls within the bark zone, within the raised edging. This can be done. I am working on a design that brings both designs together.

THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY HAS NOT BEEN ENGAGED OR CONSULTED

This whole process contravenes the school values and as a significant project, the parent community should have been consulted and updated regularly.