Six submissions raised concerns about potential noise impacts from the proposed flying fox, particularly in relation to nearby residences. While such concerns are not common within the industry, they typically arise only when flying foxes are installed in very close proximity to neighbouring properties or the traveler mechanism in the unit is itself too loud.

This is not expected to be an issue at Monorgan Rd due to the following factors:

• Design and materials: The proposed flying fox is only 25 metres long, so it is not a long unit which places more strain on the traveller mechanism. It uses plastic wheels on the trolley system, which are specifically chosen for their low-noise operation, unlike metal-on-metal systems.
• Site characteristics: The primary source of sound in most flying foxes is typically the traveller striking the stopper at the end of the cable run. The flying fox at Monorgan Rd has been deliberately positioned in the centre of the open space to mitigate any potential noise impact. At Monorgan Road, the nearest residence from this point is approximately 35 metres away, the next 40m and the third over 43m away. Unlike elevated installations that place more strain on the traveller mechanism, Monorgan Road is a flat site, thereby also reducing mechanical stress and associated noise.
• Proven performance: Similar flying foxes have been installed in other Wellington locations, including Carrara Park, Karori Park, Nairnville Park and Wall Park, all of which have residences closer than at Monorgan Road, and we are not receiving noise complaints from those installations.
• Industry experience: Our supplier Playground Creations have confirmed that this model has been used in multiple locations throughout the country that are adjacent to residential areas, without any reported noise issues.

We appreciate the community’s interest in maintaining a peaceful environment and hope this information provides reassurance.

Please note that there are toilets and a drinking fountain already on site. We appreciate that there have been some frustrations around the operation of these facilities. There is not a direct electrical connection to the toilets, and so the units are dependent on solar panels. There were some issues early on from shading, and so some of the trees have been trimmed right back, to allow for sunlight access to the solar panels, especially during winter. Unfortunately, the batteries have been stolen twice, leading to periods where we have had to shut the facilities while replacement batteries were sourced and installed. There are regular inspections to ensure toilets are clean and useable.

There was also a request for a change table, however there is already a change table inside the unit.

We are retaining the existing trees and adding amenity planting to the site.

We have tried to accommodate additional requests where we can, which include:

• Adding 3 shade sails over the swings
• Adding an in-ground trampoline
• Adding an additional rubbish bin
• Adding an additional bench seat
• Adding a queuing path in the surfacing for flying fox users
• Change the current side of the basketball hoop to the south side of the court, so users are not staring into the sun

There were some requests that we were not able to accommodate, largely to do with budget constraints, the layout of the site, trade-offs with other equipment, and what we would expect for this category of play area (community category). You can read about community play areas in the guide to dedicated play space categories.

Examples include:

• Changing the fencing to surround a play area of this size, which was not affordable
• Adding a BBQ
• Adding a dual flying fox
• Adding a spatial net to option 1
• Adding musical equipment
• Adding water play or splash pad