Playground planned to make Hamilton’s Steele Park family friendly

Hamilton police and the city council have taken action to drive away intoxicated people from Steele Park who are intimidating the community.

A playground is the newest part of the plan to make the area safer, following an increase in patrols and the removal of trees.

On Tuesday a sausage sizzle in the park raised money for the park. There were 2000 flyers distributed to the Hamilton East community to share concerns and ideas with police and join the barbecue.

Hamilton East Police and people from local organisations did the cooking.

Sergeant Paul Francis, from the Hamilton East Police, said they have also increased patrolling around Steele Park.

“In the park, we have had problems with people being drunk,” he said.

He said the police have worked with crime prevention through environmental design to help make the area safer.

Francis said the council changed the environment by taking trees out which helps ‘natural guardians’ see into the park and report problems.

“Natural guardians are people who go past a location,” he said.

He hopes the new playground will bring in the natural guardians.

Tania Mery, a mother to older children living nearby, said they believe when it gets darker it is not safe.

“It [the park] should be more utilised day and night,” she said.

“I think a playground will be fantastic.”

Two mothers that live near the park, Nicole Hayward and Chris Curtis, are looking forward to having a new playground.

“My daughter was gutted they took down the swings,” Hayward said.

Curtis said she feels unsafe when she walks past the park but believes the police are doing the best they can.

Sally Sheedy, Hamilton City Council’s parks and open spaces manager, said they are looking for multiple funding options to help develop a playground.

There are no time frames or concepts for the playground yet.