Get ready, Canterbury!
A new castle-inspired playground is coming to Norway Reserve
Thanks to the community's feedback, we’ve created a final design that continues the much-loved theme with some exciting new features.
We plan to build the playground from early 2026.
Once the timeline is confirmed, we’ll share updates on this page (see Timeline section) and by email. If you would like to be notified by email, select the +Follow button at the top of this page in the banner.
Here's the final design
View the features by selecting the hotspots on the map below:
Rendered image of the final play unit design
Norway Reserve is a local playground, which means it’s designed for families who live nearby and typically visit for shorter stays.
Because of this, local playgrounds usually don’t include:
- Public toilets – these are provided at larger district or regional playgrounds that attract longer visits
- Sand pits or water play – sand and water play need higher maintenance, so they’re generally reserved for bigger playgrounds
- Fencing - is outside the scope of this playground project
- Shade sails – we use existing trees, or plant new ones, to provide natural shade over time.
The playground’s category (local, district or regional) helps shape the upgrade – including how much we spend, what we focus on in the design, and what features are included. Read more about this on our Upgrading Boroondara’s playgrounds page.
Community consultation
We invited the community to share their ideas through 2 rounds of consultation.
Thank you to the 39 people who took part and helped shape the final design.
How the consultation was promoted:
- Posted information about the consultation on Council’s Facebook and Instagram channels
- Delivered postcards to homes within 250 metres of the playground
- Placed posters promoting the consultation at the playground
- Emailed Your Say Boroondara subscribers and local schools
- Promoted the consultation in the Fortnightly Feed e-newsletter.
Stage 1 consultation
In July and August 2024, we invited you to share what you love about the current playground, and what you'd like to see improved. Your feedback helped us create the draft design for the new playground.22 community members took part in the consultation. Of those who responded:
- 62% were women
- 52% were aged 35 to 49
- 62% live locally in Canterbury.
You gave us great insights about how you, your child or your family use the space.
Here’s what we heard:
- More play options for all ages – many of you told us you’d like to see a wider variety of equipment, like monkey bars and slides.
- The castle theme is a favourite – 70% of respondents rated the current castle theme 4 stars or higher, showing it’s a much-loved feature.
- Local knowledge matters – We learned it’s a special spot for the community, affectionately known as the 'Two Slides Park' by locals.
Stage 2 consultation
In February and March 2025, we invited you to review the draft playground design and share your thoughts. We wanted to make sure we understood your ideas from the first stage and are designing a playground that reflects what you love.17 community members participated in this stage of the consultation. Of these, 16 responded through the survey:
- 43% visit the playground a few times a week
- 43% were aged 35-49, and 31% were 70-84
- 56% were women
- 43% lived in Canterbury, 18% in Camberwell and 12% in Balwyn North.
- You loved the climbing activity most, closely followed by the slides, bridges, and other elements on the play unit
- 53% of you rated the playground design 4 stars or more out of 5
- One strong theme in the feedback was the request to bring back double slides. Locals know this space as the 'Two Slide Park', so we’ll be looking to incorporate that beloved feature into the final design.
