All parks and wetlands around the new Sanctuary Park and Playground are currently underway and will be complete during 2023, including the playground. The site is located adjacent to the future Loreto Campus on Cuthberts Road and is just a stone’s throw from the Skipton Rail Trail.

The hard scaping works, including pathways, concrete ottomans, seating and connections for the drinking fountain are underway. The spaces for the four shelters have been completed ready for the structures to be built. An oak tree will be planted in the Centre of a round stoned area that has been completed, with seating flanking this feature. One part of the boardwalk out to the wetlands has been completed with the another section due to be completed in coming weeks. Planting took place over summer and the kick and play space has been irrigated and seeded.

Play equipment will start arriving towards the end of March and more planting to come. The fence that runs alongside the whole length of the Skipton Rail Trail that connects to Lucas was replaced and the old sleepers re-used in landscaping works alongside Cuthberts Road dotted amongst trees.

When finished the 2.5 acre park will be surrounded by a mixture of native and exotic plantings overlooking the Sanctuary wetlands.261 trees including a range of Oaks, Elms, Gums, Maples, and a special Monkey Puzzle tree will feature in this park, and an additional 2,675 plants including Flax, Callistemon, Correas, Grasses, Coastal Rosemary, and Woolly Tea-Tree will provide natural texture and movement, bringing the space to life.

There are still a handful of lots left for purchase in Lucas Sanctuary, you can view them here https://www.lucasballarat.com.au/land-now-selling
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If you have a youngster in the house, here is the important information! A new adventure playground that we believe could rival the popular Central Park Playground has been designed and engineered especially for this space. The materials and equipment selected for this playground give a nod to the natural landscape and we think the little explorers out there are going to love what is planned.

The main feature is an impressive 7-meter-tall Olive Tree birds nest tower. The tower has four large olives that act as climbing destinations or cool little chill areas. You can get to these hanging olives via ropes, ladders, and net crossings. This will be the first time this piece of playground equipment has ever been used in the world – so Lucas kids, you can be playground testers!

In the centre of the playground, you will find the Bellevue play tower which has two main rooms joined with a rope bridge and covered in timber cladding. It has a genuine rustic appearance –perfect for this natural location in Sanctuary. One cluster of the play unit caters for older children with a large tunnel slide and challenging access, and the other cluster includes a staircase and smaller slide which is perfect for juniors.

For those of you who love to swing, this playground has fun swinging options including the Gyro swing, Timba swing, and the Dancing Snake. The Gyro is a multidirectional single point suspended nest swing, and the Dancing Snake could be a swing or a spinner because it does both! The Timba swing is your classic swing with two separate seats – and sometimes classic can be the most loved.

Our first Sand Digger will feature in Sanctuary playground, surrounded by a giant sand pit, again a first for our parks! The digger rotates 360 degrees and is designed for little users. It will keep kids occupied for hours in the sand pit and is perfect for building arm muscles and hand-eye coordination.

The playground will also include the Wobbly Wood Bamboo Hut, a delightful playhouse perfect for role-playing and crawling for younger ones. It features two different ascents and numerous play elements, enhancing kids’ gross motor skills and creativity under one roof.

A Kick and Play space will ensure there is not only a great playground to explore, but space to kick a footy, do cartwheels, fly a kite, or run. Scattered throughout the space will be park furniture including picnic tables, bench seating, rubbish bins, concrete ottomans, curved benches, drinking fountain and shelters.

This incredible space will be connected to the rest of Lucas via walking and riding trails that will take you all the way from the Town Centre shopping precinct through Central Park and past the Messenger Parade and McLeod Crescent wetlands, into Lucas Sanctuary. It also links via a short walk to the Skipton Rail Trail.
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A reminder to all that this is still a construction site so please have a look from behind the fences and stay well away from the site for your safety.