Cairns Regional Council trialled a number of alternative products to retain playground soft fall material, but chose Replas Garden Panels as they found them to be the most suitable.

John Burton, Senior Project Officer at the council said, ‘The panels are quick and easy to install and allow for easy repositioning should there be any changes to the playground equipment layout at some future date. The retainer panels require less effort to install than the previous timber surrounds, are expected to last significantly longer than timber, and require little to no ongoing maintenance’. 

In November we brought you the inspiring story of Kangaroo Island Council’s use of recycled plastic throughout the South Australian Island. The Penneshaw School and Community Landcare Group were similarly inspired and decided to complement the council’s upgrade works by using garden panels made from the same recycled material to create a staircase. Libby Barrios, Project Coordinator, said, ‘Replas’ product is perfect for the potential durability in a coastal area and complements the island’s facelift’.

‘We are all working closely to make this Island a much more sustainable area.’ Libby Barrios, Project coordinator, Penneshaw School and Community Landcare Group.

Romaine Park Primary is a new Tasmanian school that has been designed to give pupils the opportunity to learn in a state-of-the-art education facility, using the most up-to-date building materials.

Artas, the architects for the project, specified the use of Replas recycled-plastic products due to their durability and sustainability. Recycled plastic was used to create a number of features around the school including wave shaped benches, garden edging and fencing.

In the kindergarten playground, Enduroplank™ decking was used to build a couple of large platforms which can be used for seating or as a stage area. It was also used to create a footbridge over the bike track and a platform at the top of the slides. As recycled plastic is safe and non-toxic it was ideal to use in this environment.

Principal Leanne Raw, said, ‘The grey colour blends in well with the natural environment. Their strength and durability will add to this play space’.

 'Ongoing maintenance issues and durability were a factor in choice of building materials.’
- Leanne Raw, Principal, Romaine Park Primary School, Tasmania

A sandy embankment along a path was causing a slip hazard at Rowellyn Park Primary School in Carrum downs, Victoria. Sand movement and embankment erosion, particularly when it rained, led to the path being covered in sand which then caused the drains to become clogged making life difficult for Alf Lattin, Maintenance Manager at the school. Once Alf discovered recycled-plastic garden panels from Replas he realised he had found a long-lasting solution to this ‘gritty’ problem. Alf said he found the installation process quick and easy, adding that as a result of this experience he would, ‘definitely’ use Replas products again.

Parents and children who visit the newly opened West Coast Child and Family Centre in Queenstown, Tasmania not only have a beautiful space to meet, but can also be proud that many products used in the centre are made from recycled material.
Three stylish Sorrento benches were chosen for the courtyard and the children’s play area with play stages and a sandpit made entirely from recycled plastic. A bike track in the outdoor area and a mound for the slide are also recycled plastic; however, the thing that most people comment on is the stylish, but practical use of recycled-plastic sheets for the fence around the play area.

‘Once the sand was tipped in we drove the dingo over the end panels to level the sand with no problems, the panels did not move. We have used timber before and in order to bolt it into place and secure it takes a lot longer and a lot more effort to get them level and straight.’ Will Grimes, Contractor.

At Replas, we love working with people who are just as passionate as we are. Will Grimes is a contractor from WA, who is really supporting our efforts and was once again happy to work with recycled plastic when installing an edge around a long-jump pit at Hartfield Park, in the Shire of Kalamunda.

Will said even he was surprised at, ‘how quick it was to install the panels,’ needing only his 11 year-old son to help him! According to Will the best thing is that the panels have given ‘an edge with no sharp points and will not splinter—the best possible outcome’.

Brisbane City Council has been one of the first to take advantage of our new range of brown products. The council wanted to create an outdoor lunch and meeting area, but any solution needed to be mindful of the heritage listed tree root system.

Replas was able to provide a floating, two level deck, which has no piers going into the ground. Brown was chosen as the colour for the Enduroplank™, and black was used for the edging, creating a clean, stylish look. Because of the unusual shape of the platforms, furniture was custom built to accommodate the angles and lengths.

Council staff now has an outdoor area that is not only neat and comfortable, but helps protect the integrity of the trees.

As Replas, we’ve noticed that large profiles are frequently selected for not only coastal applications, but also inland. Shown here are the 175mm x 75mm profiles used as retaining walls at a playground in Karingal’s Ballam Park.

Given that Replas profiles are designed to withstand the rigours of a marine environment, they will last twice as long in a park application.

The team at Hackham South Primary School in Adelaide, SA, is committed to playing a part in building an environmentally-sustainable future and has installed plenty of Replas recycled-plastic products over the past few years, including furniture, signage, retaining panels, fitness trails and a bridge. The school has been a big advocate for the use of recycled-plastic alternatives to traditional materials and recently circulated a brochure to the local community promoting the fact that due to its environmentally friendly product choices, it has helped to divert nearly 8500 kilos of waste from landfill.

Replas employees are so passionate about the range of products on offer, they can’t help taking their work home with them! They also know how easy it is to maintain Replas’ recycled-plastic retaining panels, shown here in a team member’s garden.

The panels are easy to mow and snip around, as there’s no risk of the chipping that occurs with logs and timber surrounds. They are also versatile, allowing a garden bed to be created in any shape with no soil or mulch spillage.