Margaret Mahy playground to get Wi-Fi

Kids enjoying the playground (CERA Facebook)
Kids enjoying the playground (CERA Facebook)

Christchurch's Margaret Mahy Family Playground is getting a spiral slide, climbing towers and even wireless internet.

Free Wi-Fi will be available in the playground in the coming months thanks to Trade Me, says Christchurch Central Development Unit director Baden Ewart.

Since it opened last December, the central city playground has been popular with both children and adults, with more than 100,000 visitors during the summer school holidays.

Mr Ewart says the addition of free Wi-Fi will add another dimension.

"We were ahead of the game by ensuring the main lighting poles at the playground can carry the Wi-Fi fibre and access points," he says.

"That means it will be relatively simple to roll out and commission the system."

"Trade Me has bandwidth capacity which it is generously sharing with the community," he says.

Mr Ewart says Wi-Fi is an essential ingredient for a modern central city and complements the city's recovery plan to make it a "vibrant hub".

Trade Me already provides free Wi-Fi broadband services at Re:START Mall in Christchurch and on the Wellington waterfront.

It will be available at the playground once the new service has been installed and tested.

More playground equipment is currently being installed, including three climbing towers and a spiral slide. This work, along with the new BBQ area, will be completed by spring.

Newshub.