Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The way Australians used to play is changing, and not for the better, with 73% of adults saying they played on the street when they were young compared to only 24% of their kids (Planet Ark 2011).

Australians also have a big problem with their physical health with 1 in 4 children (2-17 years) and 2 in 3 adults being overweight or obese (AIHW, 2019).

And unfortunately, our communities are disconnected and our mental wellbeing is suffering with 1 in 3 people having no neighbours they see or hear from monthly, and nearly 1 in 2 people having no neighbours they can call for help (APS, 2018).

Play Australia is seeking to turn this tide by leading the 1000 Play Streets movement, recognising that in days gone by, children played on residential streets regularly which contributed to more active lifestyles and better relationships with neighbours.

This is WHY the movement is so important – to improve the health and wellbeing of Australian children and communities.

A Play Street is a simple concept, it is a quiet residential street where neighbours of all ages CONNECT and PLAY together, normally lasting 2-3 hours.

This is about creating approaches that involve both communities and LGAs to enable local residents to regularly come together and play safely on their quiet residential streets.

Currently, Play Australia is exploring the use of temporary road closures to enable Play Streets to occur – eg. residents meet on a particular day and time, involving the safe closure of their street, supported by their Local Government.

IMPORTANT – Play Streets are not large-scale community events, they are small-scale gatherings for neighbours, ideally coordinated by residents themselves.

1000 Play Streets is the movement Play Australia is leading to empower Australians to reclaim quiet residential streets across Australia as places for neighbours to connect and play, to ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

OUR VISION is that children, families, neighbours, pedestrians, bike riders and motorists are given equal priority on our quiet residential streets, to share these important community spaces in a safe and respectful manner every day of the week.

We are working toward achieving 1000 Play Streets in Australia by 2025.

Play Australia is not planning on closing streets, we are trying to open quiet residential streets for PLAY.

Currently, Play Australia is exploring the use of temporary road closures to enable Play Streets to occur – eg. residents meet on an agreed day and time, involving the safe closure of their street supported by their Local Government.

What this may mean for road users, is that they would be either diverted around the Play Street during their journey or supported safely through a Play Street, with the help of a Traffic Controller or Marshall.

Whether or not vehicles can use roads during temporary street closures for Play Streets, is dependent on Local Government policy.

Play Australia recommends that residents who live adjacent to the temporary road closure should be able to access their residence during a Play Street, as this is about sharing public spaces where people live.

Due to the nature of Play Streets, we are focussed on quiet residential streets and Local Governments should work to ensure minimal disruption to residents who choose not to participate and for general road users.

Ultimately, it comes down to local communities and Local Governments working together to create their Play Streets.

Play Australia is encouraging interested communities to connect with their Local Governments in the first instance (or vice versa). This is a community-led movement for Australia.

Importantly, Play Australia would never advertise which streets are involved, as these gatherings are for local residents in local streets (and they should be able to decide who to invite).

These are not meant to be mass gatherings or events for broader community, as a key focus is building connections between neighbours.

If you are a resident, please contact your Local Government for advice on organising your Play Street.

When contacting your Local Government, we recommend you request to receive advice about temporary road closures for Play Streets.

If your Local Government does not have a Play Streets contact, then see if you can speak to someone who looks after residential street parties or community events, as a starting point.

If there is no support forthcoming on your request, we recommend you escalate your query to the Chief Executive Officer of your Local Government or your Local Councillor, to help build support.

On our website we have further 1000 Play Streets information for communities – including email templates you can use to help contact your Local Government.

There are costs involved with coordinating Play Streets.

Every Local Government who has developed a Play Streets policy will understand the costs of implementation. They will also be able to provide advice regarding how these costs are shared with residents.

For example- many Local Governments require residents to have public liability cover to become involved.

In the instance of public liability insurance, Play Australia recommends that Local Governments should absorb this cost of implementation.

However, this is a conversation you will need to have with your Local Government.

The best course of action is to contact your Local Government and enquire as to whether there are any Play Streets close by that you could attend OR any opportunities to coordinate Play Streets in quiet residential roads close by.

Your Local Government is best placed to assist you.

Children need to play outside every day to support healthy development, which means they need access to local outdoor spaces every day for play. So yes, children should play in backyards and parks, we 100% agree.

However, there are a range of reasons we’re seeking to open our streets for play as well.

Firstly, we are seeking to connect neighbours who live near one another to build social connection, feelings of belonging and improve mental wellbeing, so our streets are the obvious place to do this, as our streets are the shared community spaces in front of our homes.

Secondly, backyards are shrinking as our density of living continues to increase, which means less space for outside play around homes, particularly when it comes to active play and especially when it comes to riding bikes, scooters or skateboarding.

Thirdly, not everyone has easy access to local parks and not every parent has the time or opportunity to transport their child to the local park, due to a range of personal reasons which means we need to find other outside spaces for children’s play every day.

Using quiet residential streets for play alongside backyards and parks (if children can access these settings) makes good sense.

Firstly, we recommend regular Play Streets only take place on quiet residential roads, which means our busy thoroughfares or roads that support bus routes should not be involved, as we support safe environments for children and communities at all times.

Currently, Play Australia is exploring the use of temporary road closures to enable Play Streets to occur – eg. residents meet on an agreed day and time, involving the safe closure of their street supported by their Local Government.

What this may mean for road users, is that they would be either diverted around the Play Street during their journey or supported safely through a Play Street, with the help of a Traffic Controller or Marshall.

Whether or not vehicles can use roads during temporary street closures for Play Streets, is dependent on Local Government policy.

Play Australia recommends that residents who live adjacent to the temporary road closure should be able to access their residence during a Play Street, as this is about sharing public spaces where people live.

Due to the nature of Play Streets, we are focussed on quiet residential streets and Local Governments should work to ensure minimal disruption to residents who choose not to participate and for general road users.

This movement is about sharing roads safely and wherever possible working together so children can play, cyclists can ride, pedestrians can walk and motorists can get to where they are going without too much fuss.