Before commencement, City of Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said that while the project ostensibly involved a play space upgrade, its objectives were much broader.
"As well as a new play area, the proposal will see a real transformation of the area below the cafe into a more natural site, with boulders, native plantings, running water and tree trunks," Mayor van Zetten said.
"The existing play space at the Cataract Gorge is well overdue for replacement, having been in place for a number of years and having withstood a number of flood events in recent memory — four in the space of a single year in 2016.”
One of the clear objectives of the Reimagining the Gorge project is to replace run down and tired infrastructure, because it detracts from the overall visitor experience.
Mayor, City of Launceston
"This project will give us the opportunity to construct something more attractive, more accessible, more in keeping with the Cataract Gorge's natural assets and more suited to withstanding the regular inundation of the lawn area.”
"The design offers a number of benefits; by having access to the public amenities and the play space all on the one level, we're able to provide better access for our vehicles which need to access infrastructure in the Gorge during floods.”
Cataract Gorge Play Space Redevelopment Concept
SCOPE
The $650,000 redevelopment resulted in the existing play area being transformed into a vibrant new nature-based play zone.
- Site infrastructure upgrade.
- Stormwater infrastructure.
- Irrigation works.
- Earthworks, including the placement of over 9,000 tons of fill material to increase the new play space area to the same level as the existing public amenities, resulting in easier access to the site for parents, grandparents and people with disabilities.