Picnic in the Parklands - Saturday 12th August 2023
On Saturday 12th of August, we celebrated the opening of Lightwood Parklands with a Picnic in the Parklands!
The family fun day was a huge hit with the community. We had face painting, wildlife encounters, live music, basketball games, free sausage sizzle and food trucks, giant games, live music, craft station and more on for everyone to enjoy. The $6million parklands is the most anticipated amenity to come to Riverbank yet and it was such a pleasure to see the community enjoy it.
The parklands have been designed to deliver an abundance of green space to support the area’s urban growth. The completion of phase one comes as the City of Moreton Bay implements its revised economic strategies to transform and modernise the region, with a goal of doubling its economy to $40B and increasing its population by almost 50 per cent to 700,000 people over the next 20 years.
Project Director, Jonathon Lawson, said the convenience of Riverbank’s urban location combined with the outdoor lifestyle it enables, makes it an appealing destination for families and residents in the region.
“With over 25 hectares of green space and outdoor facilities, we’re excited to finally unveil phase one of the evolving Lightwood Parklands. As a large number of our community are young families, we wanted to provide residents with the opportunity to enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle through access to world-class amenities in their local neighborhood,” he said.
"There are a number of shopping centres, hospitals, schools, and transport links conveniently close by, and Riverbank is situated at the heart of it all. We're glad to finally open Phase One of the Lightwood Parklands as an exciting addition to a growing list of parks and recreational areas in Riverbank and the wider Moreton Bay region," Mr Lawson said.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said Council was committed to “Going Green As We Grow” by facilitating sustainable developments that provide critical housing while respecting the environment. “This Council believes in building communities, not just homes, and what we’re seeing here is a developer with the vision to do the same,” Mayor Flannery said.
“Riverbank’s well-connected community design and amenities, such as the new Lightwood Parklands, demonstrate how we can create better and greener communities by prioritising landscape architecture, green space, and tree plantings from the outset.
“The Riverbank development is complementary to Council’s commitment to containing our urban footprint to 25% of Moreton Bay’s total area. We’ll achieve this by building adjacent to existing homes and infrastructure, because we want to protect 75% of Moreton Bay’s land area as green space and native habitat.
“I hope these impressive new parklands will see Riverbank become a thriving hub in the northern corridor of City of Moreton Bay.”
The first phase of the new recreational precinct is now open to the public, with a playground, basketball half-court, pump track, shaded meeting areas, barbecue, gym equipment and footy kick-about field, there’s something for everyone!
Check out the family fun on the day in our event video here or spot yourself in a photo here.