Following a site induction and toolbox meeting, 24 children from Manilla Community Preschool helped with groundworks at the park.

Tamworth Regional Council community engagement officer for Manilla-Barraba, Robyn Fletcher, said the students had been involved because the park was for them.

The children were issued with their own high-visibility gear and armed with the required construction tools of a spade or a shovel. 

  Under the guidance of their Tamworth Regional Council colleagues, the children assisted in the construction of the community-funded park and were rewarded for their efforts with a “smoko” break. 

“It’s a road safety park to teach the young community members how to abide by the road rules and what they are,” Mrs Fletcher said.

“It’s a project that’s aimed at the young children, so we thought it was appropriate that we had them down to work. 

“They were inducted onto the worksite at a toolbox meeting, had to sign their names and were made aware of why they had to wear their high-vis vest.”

The children enjoyed the morning working with their spades and shovels, and enjoyed smoko with the council workers.

“Their smoko was water and fresh fruit, and then they went back to preschool and had a rest,” Mrs Fletcher said.

She said the park was expected to be finished by the end of June and she hoped to get the children there for another visit before completion.

“They will certainly visit for the opening and their teachers said they would have lots of excursions to the road safety park,” Mrs Fletcher said.

The park includes roads, pedestrian crossings, stop and give way signs, a roundabout, humps, obstacles such as a ramp that will shudder, and a slalom for their balance practice.

Mrs Fletcher said this was stage one of the park, and once they raised extra money, they would add more features in the future.