{"id":211913,"date":"2018-06-21T23:15:05","date_gmt":"2018-06-21T13:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=211913"},"modified":"2020-07-31T09:44:57","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T23:44:57","slug":"council-supports-special-needs-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/06\/21\/council-supports-special-needs-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Supports Special Needs Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The South Burnett Regional Council has given in-principle support to the creation of a special needs playground at Butter Factory Park in Nanango, providing it doesn’t have to pay for it (Photo: Wikipedia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 21, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

The South Burnett Regional Council has lent its support to the construction of an all-inclusive playground for special needs children and adults in Nanango.<\/p>\n

At its June meeting last week, Councillors voted to give in-principle support to the project, subject to a fully costed proposal being prepared and presented to Council at some future time.<\/p>\n

Councillors also voted to include the project concept in the council’s Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Plan, the first draft of which was circulated for public comment on May 20-22.<\/p>\n

The idea for a special needs playground came about in early May when Nanango mother Cheryl Warner made a public plea for such a facility to built in the South Burnett.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cheryl, whose 7-year-old son Jai is a special needs child, said he and other children like him had no safe place to play in the region.<\/p>\n

The lack of facilities for children like her son meant she had to travel to Yarraman to access a limited special needs play area set up in that town by Toowoomba Regional Council.<\/p>\n

Her plea motivated the Nanango community to act, and within weeks a public meeting was called to discuss Cheryl’s proposal.<\/p>\n

The meeting decided that while Council’s draft Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Plan called for the creation of a sensory playground in Pioneer Park, Butter Factory Park – which the same report had slated for a downgrade – would be a more suitable location.<\/p>\n

This was because the smaller park had better visibility; fencing; and disability access toilets.<\/p>\n

The meeting also heard the Council had a long-term plan to link the park with a concrete footpath to Nanango State Primary School so children could access it easily.<\/p>\n

The group voted to build the park through community fundraising efforts, and said they would not seek any financial contribution from the Council.<\/p>\n

However, they believed the Council could still assist the project by giving permission for construction of the play area and minimising red tape.<\/p>\n

On Thursday night, the Nanango Tourism and Development Association (NaTDA) received a delegation of members from the Butter Factory park group who asked if NaTDA would auspice their fundraising efforts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Barry Green warned the task of raising the estimated $80,000 needed to equip the park was not a trivial matter that could be accomplished quickly.<\/p>\n

He said committee members should be prepared for several years of fundraising efforts, as well as the possibility they might not achieve their goal.<\/p>\n

All the same, he applauded the group’s intentions and sincerely hoped the venture would succeed.<\/p>\n

NaTDA members voted unanimously to agree to the group’s request.<\/p>\n

NatDA will now keep all project donations in a separate account, and provide the park group and the public with regular updates on the progress of fundraising efforts.<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n