Galungara Park Playground was officially opened to the public by Blacktown City Council last week.

Located on Dharug Country, at Farmland Drive Schofields in Sydney’s West, Galungara Park is nestled within a large urban growth corridor, providing critical public green space for community life. The park services a vibrant neighbourhood, connecting to the network of open spaces and green links within and around Schofields.

Collaborating closely with Stantec, RPS Group, Avant Constructions, and Urakawa Jenkins Architecture, McGregor Coxall led the design of Galungara Park which features a playground, new state-of-the-art amenities building, and enhanced facilities.

The park's design hinges on the deliberate use of uncommon playground structures sourced from the civil engineering industry, repurposed in imaginative ways to stimulate the minds of young visitors. Rather than adhering to predetermined movement patterns typical of traditional playgrounds, Galungara Park offers children the freedom to explore, invent, and interact with playable stormwater infrastructure elements.

This emphasis on exploration not only fosters creativity but also cultivates essential problem-solving skills and resilience among children as they navigate unfamiliar environments. By encouraging interaction with diverse materials and structures, the park aims to broaden children's perspectives and spark curiosity about the world around them. Moreover, Galungara Park serves as an educational platform, introducing youngsters to concepts and principles inherent in civil engineering in a dynamic and hands-on manner.

Sustainability was central to design, with biodiversity enhancement, flood, and stormwater management key to ensuring the park thrives as a vibrant ecosystem for both community and environment.

Providing play and recreation spaces within a multifunctional open space for the growing local community, Galungara Park is set to become a hub of activity, leisure, and community engagement.