Gillieston Heights gets skate park and new playspace thanks to million dollar project

A skate park and redeveloped playspace are coming to Gillieston Heights, with the park at Roy Jordan Oval set to be overhauled thanks to $500,000 from the NSW Government’s Places to Play program.

Bolstered by a $427,703 contribution from Maitland City Council, the near million dollar project will bring a distinctive offering to the kids of Gillieston Heights and introduce nature and water play to Roy Jordan Oval.

The skate park is the other central element of the overhaul and will cater to beginners and experts alike, providing another space in Maitland for skateboards, scooters, rollerblades, and bikes to enjoy.

Accessible footpaths, picnic tables, shade structures, canopy trees, and other supporting infrastructure are also part of the project, to be delivered by June 2024.

Mayor Philip Penfold said this news will be music to the ears of Gillieston Heights residents.

‘A brand new skate park and an improved playspace with water and nature play elements are much needed recreation facilities for the area and it’s fantastic to see a project of this size coming to the people of Gillieston Heights,’ Mayor Penfold said.

‘It’s a playspace that will encourage kids to get creative, help families interact and play together and its location next to the sports fields will help turn this part of town into a busy and fun precinct for kids.

‘One of Council’s key priorities is to provide top quality recreation facilities to enable people of all ages across Maitland to get involved in recreation and sport, and this project does just that.’

The Places to Play program helps to increase equitable access to public open space through a $16.7million investment in projects across NSW that provide for adventure, nature and water based play activities for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

Facilities supported through the program include skate and scooter spaces, mountain bike and pump tracks, adventure playgrounds and much more. For more information about the Places to Play program, visit the Department of Planning and Environment’s website.