Resources

Everything you need to plan with confidence

Practical, plain-English guides to designing, approving, funding and caring for a commercial playground in Australia — written from years of doing exactly that.

Colours & Materials

Our full range across steel, plastics, HDPE, rope and platforms — mix and match to suit your site, brand or theme.

View colours→

Download the colour chart (PDF)

Warranties & Care

What's covered, for how long, and the simple upkeep that keeps your playground safe and compliant for years.

View warranty terms→

Rubber Colour Blender

Mix your own wet-pour softfall blend from 18 granule colours and see the surface live.

Start blending→

Cost per square metre

Australian playground and softfall rates per m², plus how to work out the area you actually need once impact zones are counted.

See the rates→

Design & plan

A great playground starts long before anything is bolted to the ground. Here's how we turn your site, your users and your budget into a space children genuinely love — and one that keeps working for years.

Compliance (AS 4685 & AS 4422)

Compliance isn't paperwork we bolt on at the end — it's designed into everything we build. Here's a plain-English guide to the Australian Standards that govern playgrounds, and how we make sure your project meets them.

Council approval

Will your playground need council approval? Sometimes yes, sometimes no — it depends on where it's going and how big it is. Here's how Australian approvals generally work, and how we take the load off you.

Surfacing & softfall

Softfall surfacing runs from about $60/m² for sand or mulch, up to $110/m² for synthetic turf and $160/m² for wet-pour rubber, supplied and installed. Depth is set by AS 4422 to keep the Head Injury Criterion at 1000 or below for your equipment's fall height under AS 4685 — get this right and you've addressed the biggest safety risk on site.

Funding & grants

Playgrounds are big-ticket community assets — and there's more funding out there than most people realise. From government grants to local fundraising, here's where the money comes from and how to give your application the best shot.

How much does a commercial playground cost?

As a guide, delivered and installed: early-years spaces about $30,000–$60,000; school multi-activity systems about $60,000–$120,000; council and destination playgrounds from $120,000, with large feature playgrounds regularly exceeding $500,000. These are whole-project figures — equipment, compliant softfall, site preparation, installation and certification.

How much does a school playground cost in Australia? (2026)

A new primary-school playground typically costs about $60,000-$120,000 delivered and installed: equipment, compliant softfall, site preparation, installation and certification. The Queensland Department of Education's own published list of 15 completed school playground projects runs from $25,000 to $570,900, with a median of $116,700. The spread is scope: a nature playground and a three-playground upgrade are very different projects.

Play system vs freestanding equipment

Should you install one connected play system or a set of standalone pieces? Both have their place — and many of the best playgrounds use a mix. Here's how to choose what's right for your site, your space and your budget.

How to choose a playground company

Comparing playground suppliers can be tricky when every quote looks different. Here's a straightforward checklist — what to ask, and what a good answer sounds like — so you can compare like for like, whoever you end up choosing.

How much does a childcare playground cost in Australia? (2026)

A toddler or early-years play space for a childcare centre typically costs about $30,000–$60,000 delivered and installed, ex GST. That covers the equipment, compliant AS 4422 softfall, site preparation, installation and independent certification. The equipment on its own starts lower: our toddler play systems list from $7,140 to $64,920 supply only.

How much does a council playground cost in Australia? (2026)

A council or destination playground typically costs from about $120,000 delivered and installed, ex GST, and large feature playgrounds regularly exceed $500,000. Those are whole-project figures: equipment, compliant AS 4422 softfall, site preparation, installation and independent certification. On a large public site, surfacing alone can run $70,000+, so compare quotes on scope, not on the equipment price.

How much does an inclusive playground cost in Australia? (2026)

An inclusive, all-abilities playground generally moves into the $60,000-plus range delivered, depending on scale, ex GST, and destination-scale inclusive parks sit with council playgrounds from about $120,000. The equipment alone starts lower: our inclusive play systems list from $31,100 to $70,000 supply only, and a single freestanding accessible piece typically costs about $2,000–$10,000. The extra over a standard playground goes into ramps, accessible surfacing and access paths.

Playground shade sail and shade structure cost in Australia (2026)

A commercial-grade playground shade sail typically costs about $180–$350 per m² installed, ex GST, so a typical 60–150 m² sail runs roughly $12,000–$45,000. Waterproof or steel shade structures cost more, about $450–$900 per m² installed. Guide only: site, access, wind rating and council requirements vary.

Playground fencing cost in Australia (2026)

Playground fencing typically costs about $90–$400 per linear metre installed, ex GST, depending on the type. Aluminium pool-style fencing at 1.2 m is about $180–$300 per linear metre installed, and chain mesh at 1.8 m is about $90–$160. Gates are extra. Guide only: site, access, wind rating and council requirements vary.

Inclusive playground design & equipment

An inclusive playground lets children of all abilities get there, play together and stay as long as they like. Here's what that means under Australian guidance (access paths, ramps and transfer points, sensory play, surfacing, quiet zones and shade), how it differs from "accessible", what it costs compared with a standard playground, and the equipment that makes it work.

Council playground procurement

How Australian councils buy playgrounds (direct quotes, requests for quotation, public tenders and prequalified supplier panels), what a supplier should hand you at each stage, and how long a typical project takes from brief to handover.

Funding guide

Playground grants & funding in Australia

Every major federal, state and private grant that can pay for a playground — filterable by state, with who can apply and links to apply.

Explore grants→

Free download

The Playground Planning Checklist

The key questions to answer before you build — site, age groups, budget, compliance and approvals. Pop in your email and it's yours.