Palmwoods mum takes playground push to school gates

A Palmwoods mum’s campaign to give children more freedom to play has grown from neighbourhood meet-ups and a push for better local playgrounds into a statewide bid to open Queensland school grounds after hours.

Jenny Brunton has launched a Queensland Parliament e-petition calling for a statewide policy allowing free community use of state school outdoor grounds and playgrounds outside school hours, on weekends and during school holidays.

Earlier this year, Mrs Brunton started a local Facebook group, organised regular play meet-ups and introduced “loose-parts play”, while encouraging parents to gradually step back and allow children greater independence.

She wanted children to regain some of the freedom many adults experienced growing up – walking to a friend’s house, riding bikes around the neighbourhood, knocking on doors and meeting other children at the park. “But I quickly realised something: There simply aren’t enough good places for children to play,” Mrs Brunton said.

That prompted her earlier petition for improved Palmwoods playgrounds and discussions with Sunshine Coast Council. Mrs Brunton said she was told some playground upgrades were not expected until 2028 and would still depend on funding.

She said that led to a new question: “What spaces do we already have that could potentially be used now?”

And her attention turned to state schools. “Schools are often right in the middle of neighbourhoods, with ovals, courts, playgrounds and large open spaces. Yet much of this space isn’t available to the community outside school hours,” she said.

Ms Brunton began researching approaches elsewhere and found NSW’s Share Our Space program, under which participating public schools open outdoor spaces including playgrounds, sports fields and courts to the community during designated periods.

Queensland already allows community groups and organisations to use state school facilities outside school hours through approved hire agreements, but Ms Brunton’s petition seeks broader free public access to outdoor areas.

She stressed the proposal would need safeguards. “I’m not suggesting every Queensland school should simply be unlocked. I understand that schools have safety, security and other responsibilities, and that every site is different,” she said. “But I believe it’s worth asking whether Queensland could find its own way to balance those concerns with the needs of the community.”

The petition argues school grounds are valuable community open spaces and asks the State Government to develop a statewide policy, with temporary closures permitted for safety, maintenance or operational reasons.

For Mrs Brunton, the campaign is ultimately about giving children somewhere to build confidence and independence through play. “Because my original question hasn’t changed: Where are our children supposed to play?” she said.

The e-petition closes on October 30.