With a tee-pee and cubby house, hopping logs and sandstone seats, a fort and a jetty, the new nature playground at Minnamurra Public School, which students have patiently watched being built over the past six months, is now open for playtime. 

The state-of-the-art playground started life as a hand-drawn sketch by teacher, Miss Ruby Maccabei. Now, thanks to a funding boost and the determination of the P&C Committee,

it’s a brand new space for students to explore and develop their imaginations.  

The upgrade is part of the NSW Government’s plan to rebuild essential services, with a historic $1.4 billion delivered in the 2023-24 Budget for new and upgraded schools in regional NSW. 

Labor candidate for Kiama, Katelin McInerney and Councillor Stuart Larkins visited the School to open the new playground area. “The parents and teachers battled hard to create this [playground],” said Mclerney, who went to Minnamurra Public School when she was a child. In her speech, she encouraged the students to use the space with kindness.

For now, the students will use the playground on a staggered system to promote safety, with Kindergarten students having time on the playground first and then each age-group following afterwards. In their classes, students worked on a list of expectations for what responsible play looks like in this setting. 

It’s the latest playground upgrade for the local area, with the completion of Old School Park Upgrade in Gerringong on 30 June 2023, thanks to $162,000 in grant funding, and the Hindmarsh Park Upgrade, currently in process, which has a project value of $4.5 million.

After the opening, we asked students to share their thoughts on their new playground, which were heart-warming. “Thank-you builders for the playground,” shared Hamish from Kindergarten. “I really loved the slide; I played all lunch with my friends.” His classmate, Kita added, “I liked playing the Floor is Lava with my friend and buddy.”

Year three student, Uea, summed it up perfectly: “It made me feel confident, peaceful and joyful, and I liked that it was a place where I could sit back and relax.”