Bina Park wins ‘Park of the Year’ at Parks and Leisure Australia Awards

14 May 2021

The City’s recently completed Bina Parkland was awarded this week the prestigious title of ‘Park of the Year’ at the annual Parks and Leisure Australia (WA) Regions Awards of Excellence.

Bina Parkland, located in Balga, was up against seven highly ranked projects from across the state, and will now represent WA within the 'Park of the Year' category at the National Parks and Leisure Australia Awards to be held in Sydney later this year.

First initiated in 2014, Bina Parkland was developed with a strong, community driven approach and holistic consideration of how to deliver important health and wellbeing outcomes for the community.

Mayor Mark Irwin said today that Bina Parkland was destined to impress given its specific focus on the natural environment, reinforcing cultural heritage and providing spaces for social inclusion and recreation, particularly for young people.

“The park sits next to LeisurePark Balga at Princess Wallington Reserve and offers the community a skate plaza, junior and advanced BMX track, multi-courts, parkour area, regional playground, unique public art, formalised carparking, BBQ and grassed picnic areas and public toilets,” he said.

“Bina Parkland was a multifaceted project which included cross-functional collaboration between almost all teams at the City and it benefitted from significant community input at pivotal stages of the project – a real team effort.

“The City engaged with stakeholders such as the Wadjak Northside Elders Group to ensure the parkland delivered on local community needs, and this collaboration is a  example of the practical steps the City has committed itself to under our new Reconciliation Action Plan in order to better engage and empower First Nations residents of the City of Stirling.

“Bina Parkland was developed for the community, by the community, so we’re really pleased it has been recognised as Park of the Year among awards that celebrate creative, sustainable and innovative projects across Western Australia.”

The project was heavily influenced by community consultation, having won a High Commendation from Parks and Leisure Australia Awards in 2016 for exceptional engagement with the community and innovative planning approaches.

The City consulted with the community to rename the parkland with a Nyoongar name, with the winning name ‘Bina Parkland’ – meaning light of the morning – submitted by Warriapendi Primary School and chosen by the Balga community.

The park aims to be the centrepiece of a new community hub, with free and accessible recreation options that will attract a wide range of users and encourage local community events.

The total cost of the park was $6.2 million, with Lotterywest kindly contributing $2.34 million to the overall project via community sponsorship. Aimed at enhancing the quality of life and wellbeing for all Western Australians through funding and support, Lotterywest is Australia’s only State Government-owned lottery where all profits are returned to the community.

For a full list of winners, head to www.parksleisure.com.au/regions/wa/news-wa/2021-wa-awards-of-excellence-winners-announced

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