By TANIA PHILLIPS
GONE is the tired green-ant infested playground at one of Kingscliff’s most popular parks – Faulks Park, replaced with a $240,000 upgrade and expansion, opened this week just in time for the holiday season.
Kingscliff Ratepayers Association member Matt Cooper said the new move would hopefully bring more people into the southern end of Marine Parade.
Signage and lighting have worried local business operators at the southern end of Marine Parade over the past two years, with many calling for more to be down for the southern end of the busy main street.
Mr Cooper said it was already attracting a lot of interest from families.
Members of the Kingscliff business chamber and the residents’ association joined council representatives for the official opening of the modernised playground and multi-purpose arena, completed three weeks ago by contractor Greenwood Landscapes.
Tweed Mayor Barry Longland, who officially opened the facility, said the playground had been designed to capitalise on the park’s spectacular foreshore setting and to meet the needs of young people in the Kingscliff district.
The mayor said the major erosion swell that swept through the eastern side of the park and the aging facilities had lead to the upgrade.
“Several features of the design are a response to the community input which helped shape council’s recently adopted Tweed Youth Strategy and Action Plan, outlining what young people would like to see in their area,” Cr Longland said.
“A large multi-purpose space at the playground inclues a half basketball court and elements which can be used for skating, such as grind boxes and rails.”
The design was formulated in consultation with the Kingscliff Chamber of Commerce and the Kingscliff Ratepayers and Progress Assoctiation.The new area includes a modern, all-access toilet facility, as well as new shade shelters with picnic settings and energy efficient barbecues.
