Something exciting is finally popping up in Mandurah’s south, with works commencing on the brand new playground at the Dawesville Community Centre. For locals who have watched the site sit half finished for far too long, this feels like a long overdue step forward.

The City has described the playground as the final piece of the puzzle for this community space, and the plans do look promising. The new play area will include climbing structures, swings, obstacle play elements, interactive play features, safety surfaces, fencing and access gates. There will also be inclusive and accessible play opportunities, along with a communication board, which is an important addition for children with diverse communication needs.

Around the playground, landscaping works will bring the rest of the area to life, with new pathways, seating, shady spots and picnic facilities. New turf, trees, garden beds and native plants are planned to keep the space green and vibrant, and to make it a place where families can comfortably spend time, not just pass through.

More than a playground

A well-designed playground is a great start, but a community centre is meant to be more than a collection of buildings and play equipment. It is meant to be a place where people connect, share skills, support each other and build the kind of local culture that makes a neighbourhood feel like home.

Right now, the physical space at the Dawesville Community Centre is finally catching up with the original vision. The missing piece is how the centre itself operates. For this to truly become a community hub, local residents need to be able to use it as a genuine community centre: a place where groups can meet, projects can grow and community-led ideas can find a home.

Putting the “community” back into the centre

The only thing that would make this new playground and park better is seeing the community centre actually function as a community centre. That means:

• Accessible spaces: Affordable, practical access for local groups, clubs and initiatives, not just occasional bookings.
• Local programming: Activities shaped with community input, reflecting the needs of Dawesville residents of all ages.
• Open doors: Clear information about how to book rooms, run events and start new community projects.
• Partnerships: Council working alongside local organisations and volunteers, not just delivering services to them.

With the playground due for completion in mid October, there is a real opportunity to match the investment in infrastructure with investment in people. If the centre can start operating in a way that genuinely invites community use and leadership, the new park will be more than a nice place to play. It will be the heart of a living, active Dawesville community.

The playground is a welcome step. The next step is making sure the “community” in Dawesville Community Centre is more than just a word on the sign.