There's one thing stopping families going to the Adventure Playground

The Adventure Playground, on paper, is an attraction for families with young children, who love the park's various climbing obstacles, swings and slides.

It has one glaring safety issue, though, and it's one deputy mayor Ben Fry is urging Bathurst council to fix.

"Some kind of increased physical presence with a barrier on that Durham Street side is needed to increase the safety of families in this park," he said.

It was one of his concerns during the 2021 election campaign.

Since being elected, he said he has raised this idea on no less than six occasions with senior staff and his fellow councillors.

So far, there has been little appetite to include the installation of a barrier around the Adventure Playground in the council's plans.

Now, Cr Fry is turning to the community for support, which he hopes will convince the council to include the project in the 2024-25 budget.

Initially, Cr Fry had been advocating for a fence, but he was told this does not align with the latest principles of good park design.

That is why he is now asking for some kind of physical barrier, which could be created using timber posts, rocks or vegetation.

Under his proposal, the barrier would be on the Durham Street side and wrap partway around the play equipment in a U shape.

It would make it harder for children to leave the park and head towards the busy road, which would see around 10,000 to 12,000 vehicle movements per day.

"There is a path that leads directly from the park into one of the busiest roads in Bathurst," Cr Fry said.

"... It must be taken into account that children are inquisitive beings and they're always curious to go above and beyond constraints."

He said parents are fearful of their child wandering off and potentially stepping out onto the road, so much so that they will not take their children to the Adventure Playground.

Installing a barrier would be "risk mitigation".

"I totally understand that there is a responsibility on parents to look after and supervise their children at parks, but if we can take away a little bit of that anxiety, a little bit of that worry, out of the visit to the park for parents, then I think it would be a worthy investment," he said.

Based on his experience with construction, Cr Fry estimates the barrier project would cost around $50,000.

He acknowledged that money is tight for the council, but believes he has identified a funding source.

After the success of the 2023 New Year's Eve Party in the Park, which was salvaged by the business community, Cr Fry thinks the majority of the money allocated for the 2024 event should be moved to the Adventure Playground project.

"Currently, council has still budgeted for $60,000 for the New Year's Eve Party in the Park promotion," he said.

"I might be a little biased, but I think the business chamber did a good job, and from my talks with them, they have an absolute interest in taking that [event] over into the future.

"So, to me, that frees up that $60,000; $50,000 to increase the safety of the Adventure Playground, and leaving $10,000 in there for Bathurst Regional Council to be a sponsor of the chamber Party in the Park."

Cr Fry said it is now up to the community to lend their voices to the cause.

He has set up a budget submission form on the bathurst.community/playground website, with wording to help streamline the process.

Anyone who would like to support the idea for a physical barrier at the Adventure Playground is invited to fill out the online form with their details and then hit send.

"As a collective, we can make budget submissions to ensure the councillors are listening to this community to make effective change, and a small safety upgrade that would mean a lot to parents," Cr Fry said.