Early this month HPRS held a consultation meeting at HQ for people interested in seeing some shade protection for children at the Onekiritea Road waterpark – a playground that can be fiercely hot in midsummer. The turnout was small but we also circulated two design options in our last newsletter and some of you responded to them by email.
Most who commented are really pleased that shade protection is being considered.
Some prefer the idea of big, strong umbrellas that can be folded away into lockable on-site storage cabinets when the weather is bad and/or in winter.
A few people think it’s best to simply wait for the trees there to grow.
Another small group is opposed to any kind of permanent installation as they don’t want overhead sails or a fixed sunroof to be in place right through the colder months.
While umbrellas got the nod from most, we then did some more homework and learnt that the kind of design we’ve been looking at can swing and flap on windy days and we are mindful of whether that might create a nuisance for nearby residents.
So… the search for the best option continues – after which, of course, the committee will need to vote on funding and apply to AC for permission to install any chosen shade devices as the park is council-owned.
