PLAYGROUNDS and parks are set to reopen on Friday when some coronavirus restrictions are eased across the state.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tamworth mayor Col Murray said council had been working hard to get the region's play equipment and parks ready for an influx of visitors.
"We'll continue to work through that and have those parks ready for what I would consider to be lots and lots of kids and mums and dads coming out into the community, and looking forward to getting out into the parks and playgrounds," he said on Monday.
READ ALSO:
The partial roll back of COVID-19 restrictions was announced by the NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian over the weekend, and Cr Murray said council needs to gather more information about the policies and processes as they take shape.
"We'll have playgrounds and outdoor gym equipment in parks reopened so we're still working through what that means but we'll be bringing that to the community as soon as we understand and certainly looking forward to Friday when some of these relaxations of rules start to be implemented," he said.
It'll be a welcome reprieve for Tamworth locals, who have been forced to spend more than six weeks avoiding outdoor play areas amid regulations designed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Close to 150 parks across the region were temporarily closed from March 27, including popular joints like the adventure playground, Tamworth Marsupial Park and the city's skate park.
Cr Murray said park amenities and equipment will be ready for use by Friday.
"Even before the announcement was made at the weekend, we were pre-empting that was going to happen and our staff were putting together all our practices and dusting off the parks, we'll certainly be ready for Friday," he said.
Despite doing their best effort as a council to be ready, Cr Murray has said individuals need to be vigilant about their hygiene and safety when out and about.
"The reality is it [coronavirus] hasn't gone away," he said.
"It will be still with us and whilst we see some of these changes coming along, that doesn't necessarily mean there'll be no new cases of COVID-19."