More play, less waste a new home for an old playground

Our recent upgrade of Te Pae Mahara Roulston War Memorial Park saw construction of a brand-new, large, modern playground; but what of the old playground? No longer fit for purpose at the park, demolition seemed the likely outcome for old play equipment.

That’s where the council’s contractor, Lite Civil, stepped in. Knowing the playground was being removed as part of the park’s upgrade, it saw an opportunity to do something outside the scope of straight construction - the chance to give an older playground a second lease on life in a different location. This is how the old playground from Te Pae Mahara Roulston War Memorial Park started a new life as a playground at Ngaa Hau E Whaa Marae O Pukekohe.

Waste to opportunity

Lite Civil Director, Joseph Rawiri, says relocating the playground was an opportunity to make a difference.

“We actively look for positive social outcomes in our projects,” explains Mr Rawiri. “We thought that instead of play equipment possibly ending up as construction waste in landfill, why not move it somewhere appropriate?”.

“Positive Māori outcomes are a big driver for our company, so we naturally thought of a marae as a good fit.

It also made sense to us to approach a marae in the same community the playground had been serving. Keeping that benefit local felt important”.

Duncan Munro, principal sustainable outcomes advisor in the council’s Auckland Urban Development Office, says reuse was a great outcome for the old playground. 

“Waste minimisation is a strong focus for the council,” explains Mr Munro. “Reuse is an easy option when there’s life and value left in materials. While no longer suitable for the park, the old playground still had life in it, and we’re thrilled it’s now being used by tamariki at the marae”.

Making it happen

Mr Rawiri strongly supports the ethos of reduce, reuse and recycle but knows it’s not always a straightforward philosophy to implement. 

“It was a way for us to help uplift and provide positive outcomes, particularly for our Māori community.” Says Mr Rawiri. “It does take effort; there are certification, compliance and safety considerations, but sometimes you just need to take ownership and make it happen. Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua!”.

The council needed to ensure the playground still had some life in it and remained safe to use. 

“We don’t want our old materials to become a waste problem for someone else,” says Mr Munro. “Checking the equipment before it was moved assured us we could support the playground being reused”.

At no cost to the council, Lite Civil took the relocation work on as an investment in community. Carefully dismantling and cataloguing each component, the playground was then transported and rebuilt at its new home - Ngaa Hau E Whaa Marae O Pukekohe. The team also installed new foundations, replaced worn elements, and refreshed the play area with mulch and a retaining wall. 

The most sustainable building is the one you already have

Construction and demolition waste makes up almost half of what goes into landfill in Tāmaki Makaurau; reusing materials is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce that impact.

Mr Munro says that reusing items keeps good materials out of landfill, lowers costs by reducing disposal fees and keeps materials in use.

“There’s a carbon benefit to reusing materials,” explains Mr Munro. “By keeping materials in circulation, we’re removing the need to mine, harvest, process and manufacture new materials.”

The team at Lite Civil agrees - “Construction inevitably generates waste; so, any opportunity to meaningfully reuse materials or assets is something we’re proud to support,” says Mr Rawiri.

“Seeing the old playground continue to bring value to tamariki is a very real example of sustainability in action.”

Reusing the playground kept around three tonnes of material (around 15m³) out of landfill. It also reduced disposal costs and avoided the carbon emissions linked to producing new materials.