Since 2010, the annual budget for new playgrounds has been zero, although development contributions from two Mosgiel subdivisions, Silver Springs and Highland Park, may mean new playground equipment is installed soon in a Mosgiel reserve development.
But it isn't a lack of want or need that has driven the council's thriftiness, Cr Jinty MacTavish says.
The council's 2006 "play strategy'' included an annual playground improvements fund - over and above maintenance and replenishment - starting at $250,000 in the 2006-07 year.
That fund was budgeted to rise to $307,000 in the 2011-12 year, but faced with "significant financial challenges'' the council had to make tough decisions, Cr MacTavish said.
Rates increases for 2012-13 were earmarked at 11.9%, while "anticipated unacceptably high rate rises in subsequent years'' were forecast.
"As part of the response, in order to reduce rates ries to a manageable level, council removed funding for all new capital projects that would result in an increased level of service from the draft budgets, and consulted with the community about which of the excluded items were the highest priority.''
The result: new playground spending was frozen from the 2010-11 budget onwards.
While money for new playgrounds was put on hold, a maintenance budget of $90,000 continued and a renewals budget was retained, Dunedin City Council parks and recreation group manager Richard Saunders said.
For the 2015-16 year the maintenance budget was $120,000, while the 2016-17 year included $286,000 in maintenance money.
That money was purely for the replacement and replenishment of "aged equipment on a priority basis'', he said.
But now the funding freeze for new playgrounds is about to change with a playground improvement budget of $160,000 for 2017-18.
Cr MacTavish said the new money represented the "first time in five years the council will have sufficient financial headroom, over and above other priorities, to invest in playground improvements/upgrades''.
