New play space to make Parliament more family friendly

A children’s play space is to be constructed on the smaller of Parliament’s front lawns to encourage families to visit Parliament and to make that experience more welcoming, enjoyable, and accessible, for children and adults alike.

Speaker of the House Rt Hon Trevor Mallard said today that the play space aims to further increase engagement with Parliament. Parliament is a place for everyone and this space will help demystify Parliament and make families and children feel more welcome.

The play space will also help to meet the rapidly growing need for play spaces in Wellington, as inner city apartment living becomes more common for young families.

The location, and look and feel, of the play space has been carefully considered. While designs are not yet finalised, the space will use natural materials to blend in with the surroundings, and will reflect the history of the land and the significance of its location.

The contract to build the play space is about to go to tender, with construction scheduled to begin in the spring.

As part of the ongoing effort to make parliament more accessible, it is also being proposed that Copperfield’s Café in Parliament is opened to the public on non-sitting days.

This is in order to encourage its further use, get people into the building, and provide a more consistent clientele for Icon Venues, the company behind the catering and café, and more regular and predictable hours for their staff. The service at Copperfield’s is not subsidised as the café operates on a commercial model.

ENDS

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