Ahoy, me hearties … Point Cook’s pirate playground has re-opened at last.
More than two years after the original timber playground at Bayview Park was destroyed in an arson attack, the new improved version had kids back on deck last Thursday.
This time around the park has some safety features aimed at preventing anti-social behaviour. People will no longer be able to get under the pirate ship, and the equipment has been built with fire-retardant wood.
The rebuild has had its fair share of controversy, with locals protesting the council’s original plans to replace the pirate ship park with a steel “ghost ship” structure.
The council then agreed to rebuild the original pirate ship playground after an online petition bearing more than 2300 signatures and a pirate-themed protest at the September 2015 council meeting.
Councillor Tony Hooper, who was one of the residents to lead the charge to rebuild Bayview Park as a pirate ship playground, said it was great to see that people power had prevailed.
Cr Hooper said the park had always been a major drawcard for both locals and young families from other areas.
“It carries a significance that’s hard to describe,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic outcome, and something that people in the area are just going to fall in love with again.
“We’ve rebuilt it in a way that’s not exactly like for like, but it’s a ship – and it’s going to delight a lot of kids for generations.
“It’s a piece of history that’s been rebuilt, and in a new area, there’s not many places that have got that community connection. To see it come back is just magical.”
