New Jubilee Park play facility to open with a splash
Published on November 21, 2022
Horowhenua District Council is planning a splashing time to welcome the new play facility and amenity block at Jubilee Park, Levin (affectionately known as the ‘Donald Duck Park’).
Taking place on Saturday 10 December 2022 from 11am to 2pm, all are invited to the Splash Pad Opening Party to enjoy a free sausage sizzle, photo booth, face painting, bouncy castle and more. Coffee and ice cream trucks will also be on site.
The splash pad will be available for use at 12 noon, following a more formal ceremony including speeches and ribbon cutting by Mayor Bernie Wanden and Cr Piri-Hira Tukapua who has been a major advocate for the community asset.
Mayor Bernie Wanden says, “There was a lot of excitement when we announced the construction of the splash pad was to begin. I’m looking forward to seeing whānau enjoying the new community asset, at the opening and for years to come. Having a party to open the splash pad is the appropriate way to match the enthusiasm and excitement we received in response to the project.”
Construction of the new community asset began on 21 September 2022 and includes a new amenity block. The block features two new family changing rooms with baby changing tables, two fully accessible unisex toilets and a plant room for the operation of the splash pad, replacing the old toilet block which is no longer up to standard and has reached the end of its life.
As part of the draft Long Term Plan 2021-2041 process, the community was consulted on the installation of a new aquatic feature in Horowhenua as the existing paddling pool at Jubilee Park was ageing and reaching its use-by date. Built in 1988, the pool had been popular with toddlers and small children, but posed a safety risk; irregular use and distance from the Levin Aquatic Centre has meant that it’s not practical to have a permanent lifeguard stationed at the site.
The idea of building a splash pad was met with great enthusiasm. A popular water play feature across Aotearoa, splash pads are ‘zero depth’ fun, which can shower, spray, mist and shoot streams of water at users. They are designed on a hard, flat surface. As the water splashes onto this surface, it is collected, filtered, sanitised and re-circulated to keep the water fun flowing in an eco-friendly way. Replacing the paddling pool with a splash pad means there will still be a water play facility freely available to our community that is suitable for children of all abilities, and does not require supervision by a lifeguard.
Council allocated funding in its Long Term Plan 2021-2041 to develop a splash pad and new amenity block for our tamariki and whānau to enjoy. We engaged with local rangatahi to work alongside our contractors for the final splash pad design.
The splash pad and changing rooms will be open each year from Labour Weekend through to Easter Weekend, from 9am to 7pm, and the toilets will be open from 7am to 8.30pm during daylight savings and 7am to 5.30pm in winter months.
Splash pad users are asked to respect the space by keeping it free of rubbish and refraining from eating or drinking while using the facility. To ensure the splash pad is a safe space for everyone, please keep skateboards, bikes, rollerblades and the like off the surface, wear appropriate swimwear, and avoid using the splash pad if you’re unwell or have open wounds.