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Bedford Playground Park shared use proposal - Spring Hill

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We have reviewed community feedback and worked with St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace on a proposed shared use permit at Bedford Playground Park, Spring Hill.

Status
In progress
Category
Park
Location
Spring Hill
Ward
Central Ward

In mid-2026, we considered a proposal from St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace. The proposal was for a 12-month permit that would allow use of part of Bedford Playground Park, Spring Hill. The area would be used for sport and physical education at set times during school terms. This would be under a temporary, short-term permit arrangement to use the park, not a lease.

We asked the local community what they thought about the proposal and received strong interest. We heard clearly that we need to strike the right balance between maintaining access and carefully managing shared use.

Based on what we have heard, we have worked with the school to change their proposal. The school will not have exclusive use of the park outside school hours. The entire park will remain open for everyone to enjoy during these times.

The school will be able to use part of Bedford Playground Park for scheduled school activities during school terms.

Under the new arrangement:

  • The playground, basketball court and tennis courts will remain open to the community at all times.
  • The school will be able to use the kick-about area between 8.30am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, during school terms.
  • The existing soccer goals and cricket pitch will remain in place.

As part of the arrangement, the school will undertake minor turf improvements to the kick-about area.

We expect the 12-month permit will start in September 2026.

In June and July 2026, we asked the community to share feedback on the proposal. The feedback period ran for 4-weeks online.

We received a strong response with 583 completed surveys, reflecting a range of views from across the local community. People told us Bedford Playground Park is an important local space that is used and valued by many people.

Based on this feedback, we changed the proposal. The changes balance community use with the needs of the local school.