Shade Systems provided the shading solution to Ruakaka Playground. This is the twelfth Whangarei District Council playground we have shaded.

Recently the council upgraded the playground with new play equipment. It is a well-used public space through the summer months. There are no trees to provide shade anywhere near the play area. Therefore the playground area is exposed to direct sunlight. Consequently, there needed to be a shading solution that protected the kids.

Spencer Jellyman, Parks Technical Officer for Whangarei District Council, contacted us. Firstly, he was concerned about the fact there was a lack of shade over the playground. Secondly, another concern was how to prevent vandalism to the shade fabric.

As a result, we proposed to install a structure of eight shade sails attaching to 7m high steel poles with spikes to stop climbing and vandalism. This solution provided lots of shade.

Thanks to Spencer’s colour choices, the end result is a fantastic transformation. More importantly, it is great to see Whangarei District Council providing shade to public spaces, doing their bit to help prevent Melanoma in the next generation.