Hamilton residents lobby for playground

A group of Hamilton residents are furious they were led to believe a playground was imminent when they bought sections and houses in a new subdivision, only to find out it won’t be built until at least 2018.

The group, who live in Woodridge on River Rd north, are calling for Hamilton City Council to bring construction of the playground forward.

Katy King is leading her neighbours in submissions to the council for the playground, earmarked for the corner of Te Huia Dr and Wisteria Place.

Mrs King, a mother of two young boys, said she bought her section in Woodridge after a real estate agent told her that a playground would be built the following year.

“I just felt really disappointed with myself that I believed the real estate agent and took his word for it without doing my own research,” Mrs King said.

“I just felt really naive that I hadn’t checked with council before we bought the section.”

She eventually found out from a neighbour the playground would not be built for at least seven years.

Mrs King understood many families had bought in the area, which encompasses St Petersburg and Eaton Estate, with the belief that there would be a playground built soon.

Mrs King has sent letters to her neighbours urging them to make submissions to the council’s annual plan to have the playground built this year or next.

Hamilton City Council spokeswoman Monica Holt said the Woodridge area would not have had the number of children required by the council’s playground policy to provide a playground.

However, Mrs King said assuming average house occupancy rates for the area, the playground was likely to cater for at least 280 children, more than the 250 the council’s policy says a playground must cater for.

The policy also stipulates that all Hamilton residents live within a 500 metre radius of a playground but Woodridge currently did not meet that standard, Mrs King said.

“It’s important for kids to have somewhere to play and kids (should be) getting together and forming a community.

“At the moment the suburbs are growing up in isolation. In order for the community to bond together a bit better, a playground brings it together.”

Another Woodridge resident, Debbie Vandervalk, said a playground was well overdue.

“There are a lot of little ones here that would benefit. The people that are here now that have got four and five year olds, their children are going to be (older) and they won’t need it (in seven years).”

The council has received more than 30 submissions requesting construction of the playground at Te Huia Dr Reserve be brought forward.

This story was first published in the Waikato Times