From plastic trash to picnic treasure

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Tonnes of household and industrial plastic waste will be saved from landfill and made into brand new picnic tables.

Point Cook Coastal Park, Brimbank Park and Greenvale Reservoir Park are among 17 parks across Melbourne that will benefit from the state government’s $21 million Urban Parks Active Wellbeing Program.

“The use of recycled plastic in this project is the perfect example of resource recovery that is protecting the environment,” Energy, Environment and Climate Change MP Lily D’Ambrosio said.

The roll-out will be followed by multiple improvements to parks in Melbourne including upgraded picnic shelters and toilets, car park repairs, upgraded electric BBQs, replacement of playground equipment and more accessible pathways.

Extensions will also begin at the Bay Trail between Sanctuary Lakes and Point Cook Coastal Park and the sea wall at Point Gellibrand Coastal Park will also be repaired.

Visits to parks in major metropolitan parks across Melbourne grew from 29.5 million visits in 2018-19 to 36 million visits in 2020-21, as more people utilised public areas during lockdown.