The original concept from RPS Group was exciting. But translating it into a form that could be safely built in the real world was far from straightforward, especially within Lendlease’s budget and timeline. Achieving this required a considerable amount of exploration, flexibility and creativity from our design and engineering teams. The approved concept was intricate and deceptively complex, with all connection points needing to be perfect to ensure a smooth install – something that demanded the highest calibre of detailing. Optimising the slide levels also proved quite challenging given the scale and custom nature of the structures.

The primary construction challenge was the sheer size of the main play structure itself. It was massive. This necessitated it being pre-assembled in three main sections under controlled conditions, before being carefully transported to south-east Queensland by truck for final assembly. Expert planning by our pre-construction and design teams led to a safe and remarkably smooth installation at Yarrabilba, with all work successfully completed in four days with just one day of crane lifting.

Delivering the play structure on budget during a time of constant prices rises required a huge amount of design and delivery smarts. One innovation was to lower the towers and remove one deck completely, without compromising the creative vision or play value. To enable the fastest (and safest) installation of the structures, dedicated lifting points were engineered into the actual design.

• 2 x multi-level play towers 
• 10-metre elevated ‘maze bridge’ walkway
• 2 x 4.5-metre tube slides
• 1 x 2-metre single slide
• Hardwood timber staircase
• Tunnel climb
• Space net

• Structural steel frames
• Stainless steel welded mesh
• Class 1 Australian Hardwood (Spotted Gum) 
• Laser-cut rolled aluminium cladding
• Plastic tube slides
• Steel-cored rope

Safety is always a key focus for Lendlease and Billubera Park was no exception. At a design level, the plans for the play tower were assessed on multiple occasions by independent play certifiers, with refinements made along the way. As just one example, the upper decks of the play towers and the maze bridge were enclosed with mesh to eliminate fall hazards. The imposing scale of the main structures also called for considerable care during the manufacturing, assembly and installation stages. In particular, detailed lift and transport studies were prepared well in advance to minimise risks to the local habitat, the structures and the delivery crews.

Sustainability influenced the Billubera Park project in many ways. One of the most obvious was the considerable effort taken to preserve and protect the existing mature gumtrees adjacent to the site. Materiality selection was another focus with Class 1 Australian Hardwood (Spotted Gum) featuring heavily, together with a naturally-inspired colour palette to help the large structure blend seamlessly with the surrounding habitat.