Creative designs from young minds

Tuesday, 27 August 2019

Year 5 students from Oxley Park Public School visited Council today (Monday 26 August) to share their ideas for a new playground design at Brian King Reserve in Oxley Park. The students presented their preferred design to Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler OAM.

The school is participating in the annual Penrith Mayoral Challenge where they are asked by the Mayor to create a design for an inclusive play space in their neighbourhood.  The students work with staff from Council to get out and listen to other children, young people and park users to ask what will make a great playground in their community. The students participate in workshops where they learn about government, decision making, listening and technical skills such as design, landscape and biodiversity. 

The presentation by the students was highly creative, proudly showing their design and also presenting their ideas through dance and a rap.  

Councillor Fowler was impressed by the enthusiasm of the students and the care taken to bring a design to Council that is fun, but also considers the needs of all of the community.  

“My fellow Councillors and I are very proud of the students and delighted by their creativity,” Cr Fowler said.

“One of the greatest challenges for the students is to bring forward a design that can be achieved within budget, just like in real life this means that there are some hard decisions that have to be made and the students rose to the challenge". 

Impressed with the maturity that the students had demonstrated, Cr Fowler said, “Oxley Park Public School is doing a great job in preparing the future leaders of our city.” 

Council expects construction of the new playground at Brian King Reserve, Oxley Park to be complete early next year. A launch event will be held when construction is completed with the community being invited to celebrate the new play space with the young park designers.

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Tuesday, 27 August 2019.