May 1, 2013
Kids climbing the walls? Well, soon they’ll be able to “climb the walls” literally at three South Burnett parks.
Horizontal climbing walls are being built in the River Road Park in Kingaroy, at Pioneer Park in Nanango, and at the Murgon Skate Park.
“This is a great addition to our parks. The size of the wall needs to be seen to be believed,” council parks spokesperson Cr Kathy Duff said.
The horizontal climbing wall is the second one of this design in Australia.
It was designed by council’s Manager of Natural Resources and Parks Greg Griffiths.
“Greg has done an amazing job at putting this climbing wall together,” Cr Duff said.
“The first one was built in Gladstone and we will now have three in the South Burnett.
“An added bonus is that this has not cost the council anything. The money is from the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and children in the South Burnett will benefit.”
The total cost for the three walls is $88,000 and the project will be completed by the end of June.
“The key to a horizontal climbing wall is to go from left to right without touching the top or bottom. They tend to be about 2.4m high so children can climb sideways without the need for safety equipment,” Mr Griffiths said.
“They are designed so one side of the wall can be easier for the juniors with the other side of the wall with a higher degree of difficulty once you have mastered the junior wall.
“The walls are moulded and have the proper climbing cleats, which are the hand holds. And these can be moved every few months to keep the wall challenging.”
Cr Duff said that when the walls were completed, council would be looking to find some local graffiti street artists to paint them.
“They will be multi-functional, being both a piece of art and park equipment,” she said.
