Following calls for sun shades to be installed at public playgrounds across Hume City, the council is to investigate the option.
During a public consultation exercise on what council should include in its 2025/26 annual budget, there were numerous requests for shades over playground equipment and associated areas to protect children and adults from the sun.
Cllr Steve Gagen, with the support of Cllr Ally Watson, appears to have picked up on the idea and convinced fellow councillors at a Monday 14 April meeting to look into the issue.
They have now asked council staff for advice on the best practice in shade structure provision, including:
- Different types
- Whole-of-life cycle costs
- Latest innovations
- Framework for prioritising where shade structures should go
- That council consider including a UV protection plan in its health and wellbeing plan
Cllr Gagen said that due to smaller house block sizes, residents have an increasing need for safe public spaces for recreation and exercise.
He said more than 95% of the skin cancers that occur in Australians are caused by exposure to UV light.
“Most skin cancers can be prevented by using personal sun protection and seeking protective shaded environments,” he said.
“So it’s particularly important for the children in our community to have shaded places to play, because the children won’t naturally go into the shade. So we have got to give them somewhere shaded already.
“There’s a Melbourne playgrounds website which ranks the various suburbs of Melbourne in their provision of shaded places. And I have to sadly report that Hume falls last in a scale with practically zero shade in our play spaces.
“Good quality public spaces that have shaded areas are important for the health and well-being of Hume residents.
“Two thirds of Australians will get skin cancer at some stage. The highest rate in the world.”
Not just the cost of installing some sort of shade structure but how such how much it costs to
Mayor Jarrod Bell (Jacksons Creek Ward) campaigned for re-election last year on a ticket of fencing all children’s playgrounds.
