Macdonald Valley Community Project

Earthworks started last week on our City's newest playground!

The new playground at St Albans Park will be an exciting place for locals and visitors to gather with their families.

The new playground will include a climbing fort with slides, swings with a nest swing, rockers, obstacle course, voice tubes, puzzle and roundabout. The design was chosen by the community from three potential options.

The playground is being built with funding from the Commonwealth and NSW Government’s Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.

We will keep you updated as the construction works progress!

An exciting new playground is coming to St Albans Park, with work set to begin on Monday.

The playground is being built with funding from the Commonwealth and NSW Government’s Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund. The $1.68 million funding is being used to support ongoing bushfire recovery in Bilpin, Colo Heights and the Macdonald Valley (including St Albans).

The new playground will include a climbing fort with slides, swings with a nest swing, rockers, obstacle course, voice tubes, puzzle and roundabout. The design was chosen by the community from three potential options.

Hawkesbury City Mayor Patrick Conolly said the playground will provide both locals and visitors with a great place to relax and play together.

“After a challenging couple of years, I know Macdonald Valley families are looking forward to an enjoyable and relaxing summer,” Mayor Conolly said.

“This playground will be a great gathering place and together with other planned improvements will make this park a focal point of community life.”

At St Albans Park we are also building a conversation circle, picnic shelters with picnic tables, pathways and a community artwork. Community artworks are planned for Bilpin, Colo Heights and St Albans - details on how the community can get involved will be provided shortly.

Council will also start building a new playground at Bilpin Oval on Thursday, 28 October. It will include climbing net structure; sensory climbing, balance and musical zones; swing set and interactive play panels.

Both playgrounds have been designed to be sympathetic with the surrounding environment, and will include landscaping. Work is expected to be completed by early 2022.

For a full list of local Bushfire Local Economic Recovery projects, visit:

Bilpin - yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au/bcp

Colo Heights - yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au/chcp

Macdonald Valley - yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au/mvcp

Council is pleased to provide the following update on the Macdonald Valley Community Projects:

• Currently preparing the Development Application for the works at the RFS Shed
• The play equipment is being manufactured
• A follow up engineering assessment of the land slip will be carried out at the School of Arts this week

As part of the Federal and NSW government Bushfire Local Economic Recovery funding agreement, and in consultation with the Macdonald Valley community, Hawkesbury City Council will build a fun new playground at St Albans Park.

Three options for the playground have been designed, and Hawkesbury City Council is asking the community to select which playground they would like built at St Albans Park, replacing the existing playground equipment.

Voting is open until 5pm on Sunday, 20 June 2021.

Option 1 HERE

Option 2 HERE

Option 3 HERE

VOTE HERE!

The Mayor of Hawkesbury, Councillor Patrick Conolly has welcomed the State Government’s new funding announcement of $1.6 million in Local Economic Recovery Funding for the Hawkesbury to further support community projects for Bilpin, Colo Heights and the Macdonald Valley (including St Albans) as part of their ongoing bushfire recovery.

“Hawkesbury City Council submitted community projects for each bushfire affected area as part of the funding application for the Local Economic Recovery Program,” Mayor Conolly said.

“This funding announcement is great news as it will be a huge boost for our community and take us much further on the journey towards bushfire recovery with projects that really matter to our community members.”

Bilpin, Colo Heights and the Macdonald Valley were significantly impacted by bushfires in late 2019 and early 2020. While much of the physical cleanup has now been undertaken, the recovery work has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To better understand the needs of the residents of these areas, Council conducted online engagement programs in the areas between 2 May and 21 May. As a result, Council has been able to identify many actions that community members believe would help them to rebuild and reconnect.

Council has used these community ideas to confirm the scope of community projects for each of the three areas of Bilpin, Colo Heights and the Macdonald Valley, including their cost, alignment with project criteria, strategic alignment with the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan.

Bilpin community projects

Community Space Aspects

• Multi-age playground and recreation facilities

• Outdoor space for communal gatherings

• Community generated public art feature/s

• Oval improvements.

Bushfire Aspects

• Water storage

• Hall fire resistance upgrade

• Renewable energy and storage

• Bushfire damaged signage replacement.

Colo Heights community projects

Community Space Aspects

• Multi age playground and recreation facilities

• Upgrade of community space for communal gatherings

• Community generated public art feature/s

• Oval improvements.

Bushfire Aspects:

• Water storage

• Improvements to supply and reliably of water supply during bushfires

• Fire resistance upgrade

• Renewable energy and storage

• Bushfire damaged signage replacement.

The Macdonald Valley (including St Albans) community projects

Community Space Aspects:

• Upgrade of community space/village marketplace for communal gatherings

• Community generated public art feature/s

• Improvements to St Albans School of Arts including access and removal of redundant structure.

Bushfire Aspects:

• Improvements to supply and reliably of water supply during bushfires

• Bushfire damaged signage replacement.

“Council looks forward to commencing work on these projects for our community thanks to this additional funding support from the NSW Government,” Mayor Conolly concluded.

Council has been working with the communities of St Albans and the Macdonald Valley over many years to plan and build the works identified in the St Albans Park Master Plan. These works are almost complete and they have made a valuable contribution to the local community.

Some of the features of the St Albans Park are:

• pathways creating connections
• picnic settings
• an electric BBQ
• steps to the beach
• bollard fencing
• restoration of the stone sculptures

Council has an allocation of $150 000 in next year’s budget for the Macdonald Valley community, in addition to funds that are available as part of bushfire recovery.

We would like to understand what the community identify as the Valley’s top three priority projects.

Complete the survey questions and let Council know your top priorities for your community.

Over the next few months Council will come back to the community with the results of this survey identifying the communities’ priority projects.

Survey closes Tuesday, 12 May 2020.