Talbot Park playspace in Oakleigh South has reopened! We’re excited to welcome families back to explore the reserve’s new features.

Armed with community feedback, Council has transformed this space to create exciting experiences for the local community.

The reserve now features a neighbourhood-classification playspace that boasts a wide offering of play equipment, as well as drainage improvements and additional park enhancements to improve the reserve’s recreational offerings.

The new playspace was officially opened by Monash Mayor Cr Nicky Luo, who joined students and staff from nearby Oakleigh South Primary School for a fun ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Students had the chance to test out the playground with their friends and draw pictures of their favourite play equipment, with the giant nest swing, slides and zipline / flying fox all getting the seal of approval.

See some of the drawings in our Document Library.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on this project. Your ideas and insights helped to make this playspace more engaging for children and their families.

We hope you enjoy this exciting new space!

Explore and imagine

From scaling the multi-level play units and squealing down the slides, to captaining the shaded play boat and zipping on the flying fox, there’s something to engage every young visitor’s imagination and sense of fun.

The playspace also includes a basket swing, a rocker and rope spinner and a ‘spidergon’ climbing unit for children to clamber all over.

Relax and connect

Residents of all ages can sit and relax on the new seating while children play. Plus there’s a picnic shelter, seating and a new barbecue unit for public use.

To support the broad range of recreational activities at the reserve, we’ve added new bike racks, new bins and drinking fountains. We’ve also addressed flooding with new drainage infrastructure and enhanced accessibility to the playspace with footpaths.

What's next

Additional works to upgrade the bocce strip will start in June and are scheduled to be complete in July

In 2021, Council sought ideas and feedback from the local community for a new playspace at Talbot Park.

After listening to the community's responses, we incorporated the community’s ideas into an exciting draft concept plan that also provides drainage improvements to the reserve.

The project will deliver the following benefits for the Oakleigh South community:

• Drainage Improvements to reserve
• New playspace and recreation infrastructure
• Removal of old bocce strip
• General reserve improvements such as visual amenity, accessibility, connections and perceptions of safety.

Council is planning to upgrade the playspace at Talbot Park, Oakleigh South to make it more interesting and fun for local children.

As a first step, we’d like to get your ideas on what could be included in the new park and other ideas for improvements to the reserve. These ideas will be used to develop a draft design, which we will then seek community feedback on.

Future design work for Talbot Park will only consider ideas that are appropriate for a reserve of this size and will take into consideration the site history, context and existing constraints of the reserve.

We look forward to making a place that is interesting and fun for the community, as well as investing in other features at the reserve to make it more welcoming and accessible for residents.

Thank you in advance for any feedback you are able to provide – together we can create a wonderful space.

Feedback is sought by Friday 17 December 2021.