The Mill Playspace

Playscape Creations was an integral part of the partnership that designed, engineered and constructed The Mill Aquatics and Adventure Playspace project. Delivered in two phases, the aquatics project was completed early 2020 and the adventure play project was completed September 2020.

The partners for this project were:

• O2LA - Landscape Architect and Masterplanner
• JMac Constructions - Principal Contractor (Aquatic scope)
• Playscape Creations - Principal Contractor (Adventure Play scope)
• Moreton Bay Regional Council - Asset Owner

PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Mill Playground features custom designed adventure and aquatic play spaces, carefully designed to include universal access zones, nonprescribed junior play and multiple level adventure exploration. The combination of aquatic and adventure play provides a unique opportunity for children of all ages and abilities to explore the limits of play while offering stunning socialisation and relaxation spaces for the broader community.

Budget
Aquatic and Adventure Play Construction Budget: $3.77 M
Total Park Construction Costs: $11.4 M

PROJECT PARTNERS
The partnership between O2LA, Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC) and Playscape Creations throughout the design and construction phase was truly collaborative, with each party bringing their expertise to the table to ensure the best possible outcome for the playscapes. The end product delivers a stunning reflection of the initial design concepts and renders, demonstrating the capability of the partnership in delivering what was promised.

The aquatics construction phase was undertaken in partnership with JMac Constructions as principal contractor. Playscape Creations was the principal contractor for the adventure play space construction.

DESIGN PHASE - AQUATICS

Playscape Creations was engaged by Landscape Architecture firm O2LA in 2019 for specialist design advice regarding an interactive water feature, considering structures, hydraulics and water quality management systems.

The design of the aquatic park needed to be sensitive to the environmental concerns of the surrounding area, while incorporating elements that were unique to The Mill site and the Moreton Bay Region.

Collaborating with the O2LA design team, the initial concept incorporated the snaking path of the Pine River, with custom designed mud crabs paying homage to the interaction of the local fauna and mangroves of the region.

Bringing the history of The Mill into the design was achieved through the conceptualisation of a unique “paper scroll” water discharge bucket. Playscape Creations undertook the detailed design and engineering for this piece, in keeping with the style of the huge paper rolls the Petrie Paper Mill was famous for producing.

Building on the initial concept design, the addition of sluice gates into the river swales give children the opportunity to interact with and control the flow of water across the site, and multiple fountains and ground sprays provide additional tactile and sensory opportunities for users of all ages.

Pathways to the splashpad and waterplay zone were engineered to assist users of all abilities in gaining access to the interactive water features, in-line with Council’s vision for this area.

Collaboration meetings were held with the landscape architect’s design team, both in person and via teleconference to develop the initial concept design and further develop the detailed design. Plans, images and renders were provided to O2LA for incorporation into their plans and presentations for the whole vision for the site to the asset owner.

Once the detailed design was signed off by O2LA and Council, Playscape Creations’ specialist team finalised the detailed structural engineering and hydraulic documentation for tender phase.

UNIQUE PROJECT FEATURES
Choregraphed fountains distributed around the rill deliver an interactive water feature, with fountains programmed to dance and display multi-coloured lighting sequences. The night-time show further activates the space, with the synergy between the fountains’ dance reflected upon the shade sails.

The aquatic plantroom features several water and energy saving devices to ensure the sustainable use of our natural resources. The splashpark achieves 98.5% efficiency, with all water flows from the splashpad captured, treated and reused with minimal need for water top ups.

The water quality systems are operated by a state-ofthe-art automatic testing and chemical dosing system with remote telemetry, so the system can be monitored from any location.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are fitted to all pumps, ensuring maximum efficiency, with the feature delivery pump being activated via a Pressure Transducer mounted in the water manifold ensuring optimum delivery pressure is maintained between sequences.

The plant room has been constructed of concrete blocks with circulation and extraction fans for crossventilation, delivering better acoustic and thermal control.

An activator has been fitted to the splashpark to ensure the operation of the water features only when the park is being used. After a period of inactivity, the splashpark goes into “Stand By” mode, where 60% of the features shut down, and if not activated after 15 minutes all features other than the fountains go into "sleep mode", with splashpad features stopping to conserve water and power use.

The Splashpark starts up again as soon as users engage the activator – in this case they need to spin the Ringmaster wheel! Pumps start immediately and features are visibly active within 10 seconds, with water sprays running and the paper roll tipping bucket re-filling immediately. Filtration and water sterilisation systems continue their normal running cycle 24/7 to ensure maximum water quality.

LONGER ACTIVATION
The introduction of night-time activation features such as choregraphed fountains with an integrated lighting feature allows the whole space to be utilised for longer periods of time.

Multiple access points, wide open spaces and good amenities provision delivers a space that is also suitable for larger community events such as Christmas Carols, markets and sporting events. The village green will also function as a defacto sports oval for students as further formal facilities are developed. It is lit for night time uses to 100lux which enables training and junior level sports to be accommodated.

DESIGN PHASE - ADVENTURE PLAY
Plyscape Creations were invited to submit a design and construct proposal for the adventure playspace in late 2019. In creating this design, it was imperative to create an inter-generational recreational area that incorporates the site’s history with subtle representations of The Mill provided throughout the landscape. The specialised pieces designed for this project – from the smoke stacks of the Adventure Play entry to the large industrial framework used throughout the play construction - embody both the old and the new worlds.

The Adventure Tower echoes the main industrial structure of the Mill itself. The staggered box arrangement gives users a sense of discovery and multiple outlooks while maintaining the straight lines and heavy box section steel frames of the original Mill. By providing decorative façade elements including a moving representation of The Mill’s huge paper rolls, the essence of the sites’ history has been captured.

It is not just the aesthetics of the Tower that add presence to the site; standing at over 8m high, the tower is a beacon to draw visitors in and entice children to come and play. There are a range of climbing and exploratory challenges throughout, with climbing nets to be traversed over multiple levels before reaching the top and admiring the views across the greater Petrie area.

ALL-AGES & ACCESSIBLE
A truly inter-generational structure, the Adventure Tower delivers comfortable provision of active adult supervision as all spaces – including the slides – are designed to accommodate adults and carers. With slides at both upper and lower levels, children (and adults) of all ages and levels of ability can participate and challenge themselves to explore their limits.

The playground equipment has been specifically designed to provide unstructured, continuous play experiences. Non-prescribed entry and exit routes mean there is no “right way to play”, allowing children to discover their own route through the system, inventing games and engaging their peers as they play. It encourages inclusion for all ages and abilities as children build their physical skills and confidence in their own time.

Continuous play opportunities mean that children can move from one activity to the next within the same system; preventing traffic jams on the equipment and encouraging children to find the path that best suits their needs. The value of play in these experiences is completely self-directed and enhances the infinite value of the child’s imagination.

Discovery pathways with native flora and textural paths provide an additional sensory element to delight children of all ages and abilities.

Integral to the playspace design was best practice accessibility features; an important part of the entire regional park. Accessible features include no-step access to the waterplay splash pad, accessible play elements in the adventure playground and full accessible paths to all play elements including rubber softfall surface, clear wayfinding and colour definition to define spaces, multiple seating options and a nearby amenities building with accessible facilities.

CONSTRUCTION PHASE - AQUATICS

Construction tenders released by MBRC late 2019, JMAC Constructions named Principal Contractor, and O2LA acting as superintendent. Aquatic construction commenced December 2020 within the broader park development. Playscape Creations undertook the specialist Aquatics construction project, with the design as per original concept and design documentation.

Integration of a new splash pad featuring interactive choreographed fountains was included post-tender phase to provide night-time activation options for the community.

PROJECT TIMELINE

DELIVERED AS DESIGNED
The park provides multiple community benefits and importantly Council placed community value for recreation over development potential at the front door of the most significant Council-led urban centre development in MBRC recent history. Having Council drive the project from the outset means that community benefit remains the primary driver across multiple initiatives including community and cultural facilities, education, environment, sustainability and economic development. It is the first stage of an integrated open space corridor that lies within a broader strategic initiative for a Mountains to Mangroves recreational corridor.

From hectares of heavy industrial buildings and chimney stacks, a processing plant, wastewater treatment ponds and landfills to a community focussed green space, secured koala habitat and protected water catchments, the ecologically sound restoration of this area will enhance wildlife habitation and local enjoyment of the area while recognising the desires of the local indigenous community.

With such a varied array of activities to participate in and areas to explore, this exclusive integrated playground, splash park and recreational space design not only pays respect to the site’s rich past but encourages children, families and the wider community to spend quality time socialising and guaranteeing repeat future visits.

OPERATIONAL STATS
After opening on the 12th December 2020, The Mill at Moreton Bay has been visited by thousands of families enjoying the integrated aquatic and adventure playspace. Feedback from the community has been amazing, with the paper roll tipping bucket and the height of the adventure tower the standout features.

Operationally, the aquatic playspace has performed perfectly, with water quality maintained at the highest level despite several hot days and peak bather loads.

CONSTRUCTION PHASE - ADVENTURE

An invitation for a design and construct tender for the adventure playspace was released by MBRC in August 2019, with Playscape Creations putting forward the custom Adventure Tower and a range of bespoke elements to enhance the play experience. The tender was awarded in December 2019, with the design phase kicking off in December and continuing until February. The integration of stunning colours into the design was championed by the landscape architect team at O2LA, creating a more engaging environment and tying back into the aquatic play design.

Playscape Creations' parallel fabrication and construction methodology allowed equipment fabrication to continue in our Brisbane facilities off site while the site itself was prepared for installation, cutting 4-6 weeks off the total construction time.

The construction of the Adventure Tower frame took place in a single day, with the four separate box sections fully fabricated and craned into place on the pre-poured and cured pad footings. The composite timber cladding, slides and net systems were then installed.

PROJECT TIMELINE

DELIVERED AS DESIGNED
The Mill has become a favourite place for locals from Brisbane’s Northside, with more than 32,000 families visiting in the first month of operation establishing a significant local economic multiplier. It also attracts people from all over SE QLD, delivering additional economic benefits to the local businesses in the area and giving further exposure to the new University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) Petrie campus.

The co-location with USC campus encouraged design thinking around contributing to a healthy, inclusive and robust new community and how students and staff would use the parkland space and recreational opportunities, increasing patronage to the playspaces.

The introduction of night-time activation features means the space can be utilised for longer periods of time. Multiple access points, wide open spaces and good amenities provision means the space is also suitable for larger community events such as Christmas Carols, markets and sporting events. The village green will also function as a defacto sports oval for students as further formal facilities are developed.

KEY PROJECT INNOVATIONS
With the site location situated adjacent to the North Pine River and only minutes to Moreton Bay, materiality became a key consideration of the design to ensure maximum asset longevity with minimal ongoing maintenance responsibilities.

In a foreshore location such as The Mill, all equipment and landscaping elements are subject to a constant corrosive atmosphere. To combat this, the strongest materials and finishes were chosen:

• 2Pac Epoxy Coating suitable to withstand C4 Corrosion resistance on all steel features.
• 304 Stainless Steel features powder coated to prevent tea-staining and reduce ongoing cleaning and maintenance.
• FutureWood cladding used on Adventure Tower versus hardwood – requires no ongoing maintenance (painting, sanding), is UV resistant and manufactured using plastic from post industrial waste, so it’s kind to the environment.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS
The project was a significant generator of local employment. Council has a further forward investment in the order of $70million over the next 5 years at the site that is anticipated to attract substantially higher levels of private sector investment. The facilities also contribute to the University of the Sunshine Coast campus value as a ‘sticky’ campus that offers value adds to attract more students.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

In September 2016, the former Petrie paper mill site at Moreton Bay was officially declared a Priority Development Area (PDA) by the Queensland Government.

Known as “The Mill”, this site facilitates integral local development, including construction of the new University of the Sunshine Coast, as well as new health, retail, commercial and residential developments and community infrastructure. Three broad place making themes were adopted for the parkland through the Public Realm Vision and Placemaking Strategy for the Mill undertaken in the 2017.

The new parkland is categorised as a district level facility in Council’s open space strategy however, the unique position within the Mill site and proximity to University campus and Rail station saw Council invest at a higher than normal level in particular on the play spaces. The park is at the entry to the emerging centre and is an important statement by Council that recreational facilities are critical to community needs in the development of new places. The introduction of Council’s largest free zero depth water play element also heralded a shift in Council’s approach to delivery of play spaces.

For more details, visit:
playscapecreations.com.au/the-mill-moreton-bay/