Ready, set, bloom! A new nature-inspired playground is coming to Westbrook

A new community space is taking shape – a vibrant, nature-themed playground inspired by the native Button Wrinklewort daisy.

It’s the start of something special that will be with the local community for decades to come.

With construction beginning soon, the park site is fenced while early works prepare the ground.

The Button Wrinklewort (Rutidosis leptorhynchoides) is a rare and resilient native daisy.

Each flower is a compact cluster of small florets, encircled by a ring of greenish bracts that give it a delicate, ornamental appearance.

The perennial Wrinklewort once thrived across southeastern Australia, typically growing to 20–35 centimetres tall and blooming in spring and summer.

 

Designed for everyone

Toddlers can explore the sensory-rich ground-level panels while confident primary schoolers will scale the cargo nets. The park will be a stimulating space for everyone who visits.

The playground’s centrepiece will be sculptural towers shaped like oversized blossoms, inspired by the flower’s unique growth and form.

A range of physical challenges will ensure that children can play at their own pace and confidence level.

These structures will lean and curve just like the real flower, inviting kids into a dreamlike garden scaled for imagination.

The elevated towers offer views across the estate, creating a sense of wonder and connection to the surrounding landscape.

In addition to the playground, the completed public space will feature a dog park, fitness equipment, multi-sport court with scooter track and custom shelters.

Every detail of the park, from the tactile play panels to the plant-inspired colour palette, encourages engagement with the natural world.

 

About the Button Wrinklewort

The Button Wrinklewort is not only a symbol of Australia’s unique floral heritage but also a case study in the urgent need to conserve fragmented grassland ecosystems.

In Victoria, its presence is largely restricted to the Victorian Volcanic Plains, where it favours open grasslands and shallow, stony soils.

Its largest remaining natural population is found at Truganina Cemetery in Melbourne’s west, a site recognised for its critical conservation value.

Beyond the cemetery, it’s now found at fewer than 30 known sites across Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory.

The species is listed as endangered due to a suite of threats: extensive habitat loss from agricultural development, competition from invasive plant species, altered fire regimes, and declining genetic diversity.

According to the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (GHCMA), ongoing conservation efforts focus on protecting remaining populations and enhancing their resilience.

This includes habitat management such as controlled ecological burning, weed removal, and the careful collection and propagation of seeds to support reintroduction into suitable habitats.

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Learn more about the button wrinklewort – Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.