What changes will be made to Mardalup Playground and why? What is considered as part of the playground upgrade?

    Every year the City of Perth upgrades playground equipment, with the aim of replacing outdated pieces with new, similar models or upgraded designs.

    The Parks and Environment Team has received capital works funding in the 2025/26 budget to renew the existing playground facilities at Mardalup Park, which is nearing its end of useful life.

    Any other minor park works identified in the community consultation process such as furniture and artwork refurbishments will be considered subject to budgeting allocation. Other issues such as toilets, park lighting, dog governance, BBQ and picnic shelters are not within the scope of this renewal project.

    Where is the nearest alternative playground?

    The nearest alternative playgrounds are in Wellington Square, East Perth - Moort-ak-Waadiny-wellington-square-playground or Rod Evans centre playground.

    What is the process?

    The City of Perth is committed to seeking community and stakeholder input to ensure the playground replacement meets the needs of the local community. 

    City officers will be gathering community input from the Engage Perth survey, park drop-in session and any written and online submissions that are received.

    Once the consultation period has closed, based on the community ideas and needs, as well as the budget, playground concept designs will be generated as part of Phase 1 - Concept Design. The City of Perth will determine which concept designs best meets the community's needs and deliver that playground.


    How will you determine which design will be built?

    The City of Perth will determine up to three (3) concept designs to present to the community for voting. The concept designs will be shared on the City of Perth’s Engage Perth portal. Voting will be restricted to one (1) vote per registered users to ensure the outcome is representative of the community.

    What is a registered user?

    • A person who has sign-up to Engage Perth with an email address and has a valid display name
    • A City of Perth resident or community member as identified by their postcode

    Please note the City of Perth will review the votes and reserves the right to discard votes deemed to be non compliant or fraudulent.  

    Once voting has closed, the City of Perth will review the votes for probity. The concept design with a simple majority will be the one to progress. Should there be no clear majority, the City of Perth reserves the right to award the contract to the design deemed to be most suitable or reissue the request.




    Isn't Mardalup a registered Aboriginal Heritage Site?

    Mardalup Playground is within a registered Aboriginal Heritage Site. Once the preferred concept design has been determined, feedback will be sought from the advisory group and appropriate approvals will be sought.

    It is important to note that the design may undergo some revision as a result of consultation.

    My favorite equipment was not included in the design!

    The City is committed to delivering the best possible outcome for the majority of the community. Unfortunately, due to the budget and a varied responses to survey questions it is inevitable that not every member of the community will be satisfied with the project delivered. We hope that through the community engagement process we can deliver the best possible playground.

    The built playground looks different from the design

    Construction projects don't always go to plan and there are many factors that can result in the design changing over time, Below are some examples of occurrences that may result in changes to design.

    • Major Stakeholder such as Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction, and Aboriginal Heritage Advisors may provide feedback and request design changes
    • Applications for permits to undertake work may require design changes
    • The design exceeds the available budgets
    • The design is under budget and the City has requested additional equipment
    • Equipment is no longer available or the manufacturing time cannot be accommodated
    • Element of the design do not comply with the Australian Standards


    What is the budget?

    There is a fixed budget allocation to be included in the 2025/26 financial year. 

    The budget must cover all works associated with the removal of the existing equipment, installation of new playground elements and softfall surface, landscape and irrigation remediation, temporary fencing, playground audit and any other minor park works identified in the consultation process such as furniture and artwork refurbishments.

    What happens to the equipment being removed? Can I purchase the equipment?

    The City disposes and recycles the equipment according to its asset disposal policy. When playground equipment is due for replacement, it cannot be sold.

    I am affiliated with a playground equipment company, can I take part ?

    If you work or are affiliated with a playground company who is likely to supply a design option for this playground, you are ineligible to take part in the consultation process. Votes from playground contractors or employees will be discarded. If you wish to discuss this further, please contact us.

    Will the new playground obstruct my views?

    The tallest tower of the new play structure is approximately 5.7 metres, and the smaller tower is approximately 4.65 metres, based on the manufacturer’s drawings. 

    These elements may partially interrupt some low‑level sightlines when viewed from close range. However, they are not expected to block major landmark views, as surrounding large‑scale features sit well above the height of the playground equipment. 

    Mardalup Climber - Equipment Height



    Will any public parking bays be used during construction?

    Yes. Parking bays 5 to11 in Carpark 51, off Brown Street, will be used for construction activities. These bays will be temporarily unavailable for public use for the duration of the works. All other parking in the area will remain accessible. Temporary Workzone