After four solid years of planning and fundraising, the Tamworth Children’s Adventure Playground is finally tangible, with its core component currently being harvested.

To be built at Marsupial Park later this year, the community playground is expected to span about two-thirds of an acre and feature 46 components, including swings, slides and tunnels.

Friends of Marsupial Park president John McDarmont anticipates more than a million children will visit and play at the facility over the next 20 years.

Around 70 tonnes of high quality grade radiata pine timber, planted in 1974, has been selected to be loaded onto trucks and taken to Tamworth Treated Timbers where it will be sawn and naturally dried, a process which will take around four or five months, weather permitting.

The timbre will then be treated to protect against termites and decay.

“This is a very special project and we are very pleased to be playing our part in this” Tamworth Treated Timbers’ Brian Collins said at the plantation site on Thursday. 

About 1000 community volunteers are needed to help with the construction phase at the grounds of Marsupial Park, which is expected to take about a week.

Funds for the timber have been raised through community sponsorships and fundraising undertaken by volunteers of the playground committee.

Anyone interested in contributing to the group by volunteering or donating is invited to contact Charles Impey on 0428 000 021.