People power has prevailed, with Wyndham council agreeing to scrap its controversial design for a replacement for the pirate playground at Bayview Park in Point Cook.
The playground was destroyed in an arson attack last September.
Council chief executive Kelly Grigsby said the council would appoint an architect to draft new designs for a pirate ship playground to replace designs for a steel ‘ghost ship’ structure proposed earlier this year.
Ms Grigsby said that after the new playground was designed the plans would be put out for community consultation.
A win for the people
Glen Piper, who led the group campaigning for council to replace the original timber pirate ship in its previous form, called the council’s decision “a win”.
Mr Piper said the council had told him architect Barry Murphy would be appointed to complete a new design based on the original structure.
Mr Murphy designed both the original playground and the alternative design that the community provided to council.
“Council is jumping on board, which is what we wanted, and we hope to see this continue,” Mr Piper said.
“I guess it’s definitely a win for the community at this stage, but we need to finish seeing that through. Council seems to be listening and backing this up with action to rebuild our ship how we want it.”
The council decision to go back to the drawing board was made after pressure from residents that included a petition with more than 2300 signatures.
“It really just shows how iconic and loved the ship was,” Mr Piper said.
“It shows how it captured the imagination of the community.”
There had also been discussions acknowledging Bayview Park as a destination park, Mr Piper said.
“We need to look into future carparking spaces and future toilet facilities on site,” he said.
