Newcastle council has slammed the state government for removing and refusing to replace a playground in a Hamilton South social housing estate.
The Neill Terrace equipment was removed by the Land and Housing Corporation in March despite a community petition calling for its retention and replacement.
Its removal cost more than $30,000 and the government spent more than $5000 replacing brickwork at the site less than a year before the equipment was ripped out.
Housing Minister Melinda Pavey justified the situation in a formal response to questions on notice from Newcastle state MP Tim Crakanthrop by saying "installation and maintenance" of play equipment was "not a key priority" as it would "divert funds from upgrading and repairing tenants' homes".
She said a new playground would cost more than $100,000 and have maintenance costs of "$15,000 to $20,000 each year".
Mr Crakanthorp criticised the government before the playground was demolished, but at its ordinary meeting this week the council moved a motion to formally express its disappointment and to write to the state's Acting Minister for Families and Communities seeking a resolution.
"Just imagine the message that the demolition of their playground sends to their community and their children," Cr Carol Duncan (ALP) said at the meeting. "It says that they don't matter."
Cr Duncan said it was unacceptable that the state government had told residents to use other council-owned playgrounds nearby. She said children would have to cross Glebe Road or Beaumont Street, which were busy and at times "dangerous" roads.
Councillors discussed potentially constructing a playground in the nearby Henry Park, an option Cr Kath Elliott (IND) had proposed staff explore if the state government maintained its stance, but this was not included in the original motion.
"We cannot accept endless cost-shifting from the government," Cr Duncan said.
Mr Crakanthrop said following advocacy to Planning Minister Rob Stokes, the government had opened up a potential funding source to reinstate the equipment.
He said the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment had expanded its eligibility criteria for the Everyone Can Play grant program so other government agencies could apply.
It originally only provided funding to councils, as the usual custodians of play equipment, but Newcastle council does not own the Neill Terrace land and would therefore be ineligible.
Mr Crakanthrop said he had written to the Housing Minister Melinda Pavey urging her to ensure the LAHC applied for funding.
"While we weren't able to save the existing infrastructure on Neill Terrace, I'm not giving up on this playground or this community," he said.
A Land and Housing Corporation spokesman said the agency had "considered the request to divert funds from property sales to replace playground equipment" but those proceeds were "used to fund the provision of homes for people in need, and to provide improvements to existing homes".
"While we understand the importance of community infrastructure in our social housing estates, the playground facing Niell Terrace is no longer fit for use and poses a potential safety issue," he said.
"The decision to remove the play equipment and re-establish fresh turf was also informed by the fact there are options for residents to access other local playgrounds and sporting fields within close proximity to the complex."
