New Zealand's first fully inclusive playground one step closer to being built in Hamilton

New Zealand's first inclusive playground is one step closer to coming to Hamilton. Photo / Supplied

People of all ages and abilities will soon have a place to play together as Hamilton City Council approved the location of New Zealand's first fully inclusive playground in Claudelands park last week.

The council also approved the concept designs and a three-stage plan for the "magical" playground which will include themed zones, hideaway huts, planting for sensory purposes and braille on signage and equipment.

Work on the first stage is set to start in January next year.

The playground will be developed in partnership with Hamilton-based Magical Bridge Trust which was formed specifically to build "the world's most accessible" playground.

The playground is set to take into account the needs of people with intellectual disabilities including autism and sensory, visual and hearing impairments.

Proposed design features of the 11,000sqm playground include themed zones, like a slide zone, sensory zone, swing zone and spinning zone with hideaway huts and buddy benches as well as specific colours for pathways and zones, planting for sensory purposes and braille on signage and equipment.

Community Committee chairman, councillor Mark Bunting said he was "extremely excited" about this project.

"It's a New Zealand first, and a real sign of the way we want to approach play in this city.

"Having this world-class playground near the centre of Hamilton Kirikiriroa will not only encourage play in those who feel they can't use our traditional playgrounds, it revolutionises the bounds of play and how we could be more inclusive with our future designs."

Claudelands was chosen due to its central location set away from busy roads, as well as having a safe area for bikes and a carpark. Claudelands Park is also home to an existing playground which is due for renewal.

The playground proposal includes three standalone stages with the first stage marking the start of building a playground with improved inclusivity on the existing playground's footprint.

Stages two and three will add several play zones, alongside facilities such as toilets and car parks.

Hamilton City Council will contribute a maximum of $1.4 million towards the project from its renewal budget for the existing playground. This funding will cover stage one, with stages two and three relying on Magical Bridge Trust securing external funding.

Magical Bridge Trust co-founder and board chairman Peter van Vroonhoven says a huge amount of mahi with the community has gone into this decision.

"This is an exciting and momentous decision by the Hamilton City Council and will set the benchmark for other regions of New Zealand Aotearoa to follow. This is something our disabled community and their whanau deserve and have been waiting for."

Magical Bridge Trust will engage with stakeholders and user groups such as Waikato Show Trust, local mana whenua, the Disabled Persons Assembly, the McKenzie Centre, Head Injury Waikato and Sport NZ during the design phase to ensure the final design has play value for all.

One in four New Zealanders live with a disability, with more than 120,000 living in Waikato.