The community were invited to provide feedback in March 2022 on the location for a significant upgrade and what play elements, equipment and amenities they would like to see included. Following this, feedback was analysed and preliminary sketch plans were developed for further community feedback in November 2022.

Point Hut Pond playground is being upgraded with key features including:

• cultural artwork on the existing equipment and basketball backboards
• seating at the basketball court
• climbing structure and slide
• upgrades to the existing junior playground including new equipment, new nature play area with boulders, a scramble slope, balancing equipment, and Ngunnawal cultural play elements.

The ACT Government is committed to delivering better play spaces across Canberra and providing people of different ages and abilities with fun, creative and engaging play experiences.

The community were invited to provide feedback on a significant upgrade to the Point Hut Pond playground including play elements, equipment and amenities as well as safety and accessibility.

During the first round of feedback nature play upgrades were supported, with more seating to facilitate community basketball games and all abilities playground equipment. Bike racks also rated highly in the feedback. We used this feedback to create preliminary designs for broader community engagement.

Feedback received during engagement on this project assisted in developing and then finalising designs ahead of construction procurement for the significant upgrade to the Point Hut Pond playground.

If you have any questions about this project or would like to be kept updated on its progress, please email communityengagement@act.gov.au.

What you told us you’d like to see

• Amenities: furniture for sitting, eating, or studying; picnic shelters; more shade; improvements to paths and access.
• Play equipment/elements: nature play; a learn to ride track; all abilities play equipment; climbing structures; slides and forts; fitness equipment and equipment accessible to more age groups and diverse needs.

How we have used your feedback

• Cultural artwork on the existing equipment and basketball backboards.
• Seating at the basketball court.
• Climbing structure and slide.
• Upgrades to the existing junior play space including new equipment, new nature play area with boulders, a scramble slope, balancing equipment, and Ngunnawal cultural play elements.

Click here to see a full-screen version of the final indicative design as an overview. You can also view the junior play area and the Maliyan Nest.

The region where the Point Hut Pond play space upgrade is located holds an ancient cultural and spiritual connection to the Ngunnawal people and has for thousands of years. This region which is traditionally known to the Ngunnawal people as Tuggeranong meaning ‘cold place’ and is rich in cultural resources like the Murrumbidgee River. The region also holds multiple songlines created and maintained by the Ngunnawal people to access various significant cultural sacred sites and locations such as the Yankee Hat Rock Art at Namadgi, the Rock Shelters at Birrigai, Tidbinbilla and Jedbinbilla ‘where boys become men’ initiation grounds and the Brindabella Mountains where the Ngunnawal people would invite neighbouring nations to participate in the annual Bogong Moth ceremony.

The Murrimbidgee river, which is cared for and occupied by the Ngunnawal peoples for a variety of reasons, underpins cultural and land management practices supporting trade, ceremony, hunting and land boundary systems. Point Hut Crossing has been used for many years to sustain the local ecosystem which also incorporates local aquatic species and vegetation.

The cultural theme for the play space upgrade is Dhawura Ngunnawal - Ngunnawal Country. The artwork by Bradley Mapiva Brown, Rartist and cultural consultant, reflects Dhawura Ngunnawal by featuring the culturally sacred Murrumbidgee River, creation of songlines (pathways) and ceremony. Bagariin Ngunnawal Cultural Consulting provided several recommendations to show case the play space theme. Recommendations included in the play space design are:

• artwork applied to play equipment
• Maliyan Nest (Wedge tail eagle protector)
• slides representing the Murrumbidgee River
• natural elements
• climbing net representing the use of fishing traps on the Murrumbidgee River.