Parkes' Galing Gindhay - Water Play Space at Kelly Reserve continues to impress with the innovative project now recognised among the top three projects in Australasia. The splash park was selected a finalist in the Best Public Works Project Under $2 million category at the prestigious IPWEA Australasia Excellence Awards, highlighting the project’s outstanding design, delivery and community impact. Parkes Shire Council’s shire presentation coordinator Tim Gillogly and project officer Bronte O’Shannessy attended the awards gala dinner on Thursday, 28 August, where Mr Gillogly also presented about the project’s design and delivery. “The play space’s success was due to the contributions of numerous departments of council and the finished product is something we are extremely proud of," he said. Four months earlier the team and the project won the Design and Construction of a Public Works Project (projects less than $1.5 million) category at the IPWEA state awards. The project began in 2020 when more than 400 community survey responses identified a water play space as a high priority. Kelly Reserve was chosen as the location, enhancing the precinct as a social hub and gathering place. Designed for limitless fun for children of all abilities, the space follows the topography of the Lachlan catchment. Interactive features begin at Lake Endeavour with a water pump and trough, flowing through Bumberry Dam, creeks and billabongs, before reaching a sand play area representing the town of Parkes. Interpretive signage developed by council’s environmental and communications teams helps children learn as they play, with stories about Parkes’ water sources, ecosystems and local wildlife. Carved totems, including the eastern long-neck turtle and murray cod, celebrate the animals that live in our waterways. And collaboration with Wiradjuri groups was integral, Mr Gillogly said. The Elders Advisory Group shaped the design of the splash pad and totems and the Wiradjuri Language Group provided the name Galing Gindhay meaning water play. Accessibility was a central focus, with wide paths, bridges, inclusive sand diggers, water troughs at accessible height, a wheelchair-friendly carousel and a splash pad activation button designed for easy use. The project was officially opened in November 2024 and has since become a much-loved community facility. Galing Gindhay was jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, the NSW Government’s Places to Play grant program, Evolution Mining Northparkes Operations and Parkes Shire Council.
