AN unused lot in Edithvale should be used to build a playground, residents say. The vacant site at 8-12 Northcliffe Road was used to house a Mercy Health aged care facility, which closed its doors this year. Mercy Health is set to return the site to council imminently. Edithvale residents say that the site sits in the middle of a “playground black hole”, and should be developed for community use.
Edithvale Collective spokesman Jonathan Lechinski said “the area is in desperate need of a community playground.” “The council’s own playground suburb analysis shows that this site is smack bang in the middle of a playground black hole,” Lechinski said. “They’ve set a target for everyone to be within 10 minutes’ walk of a playground. Across Kingston, 97 percent of people are able to do that but in Edithvale the figure is only 68 percent. The council’s gap analysis found that a suburb of our size should have almost five playgrounds but we’ve only got two. “The departure of Mercy Health from its Northcliffe Rd site provides the perfect opportunity to fill that gap, and an opportunity like this might not come around again for decades.”
Nicole Thomas is a mother-of-two living in Northcliffe Road. She said “the neighbourhood is full of young families but we’ve got nowhere to take our kids to play without having to hike to the other side of Edithvale. “If this site was simply sold off to the highest bidder it’d be absolutely devastating for everyone who lives around here. A council with any kind of vision would see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity and pounce on it. They’ve publicly stated there’s a playground problem in this neighbourhood, and they literally own the solution.”
Kingston Council CEO Peter Bean said council would consider the future of the site soon. “The tenant, Mercy Health, are still in possession of the site in question. It is due to be handed back to council soon,” he said. “We are currently undertaking a review of our property portfolio, including this site, and this will be the subject of a report to a future council meeting.
“Our Open Space Strategy 2023-2033 provides the strategic framework to guide the planning and management of open spaces in Kingston over the next ten years and beyond, while the Play Your Way Strategy provides the principles and direction to guide the ongoing development, management and investment in our owned and managed playgrounds and active recreation facilities.”
Bean said residents can submit ideas to council at yourkingstonyoursay.com.au/talking-kingston.
First published in the Chelsea Mordilloc Mentone News – 16 April 2025