Thousands of children have had hours of fun on the play equipment at Lions Park, and it's now set to enjoy a second life overseas.

The Rotary Overseas Relocated Playgrounds (RORP) program rescues decommissioned playgrounds in good condition and relocates them to overseas communities in need.

The Lions Park playground equipment will be shipped to one of RORP’s fifteen partner countries, where it will be installed to benefit local children and families without access to safe playgrounds.

By partnering with the RORP, Council ensures that functional, structurally sound play equipment continues to serve a purpose, while also reducing waste.

Forbes Shire Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM said the initiative is a win-win for the community.

“While the equipment is no longer suitable for reuse in Forbes, we’re proud to partner with Rotary to give it a second life. Instead of sending it to landfill, this initiative allows children overseas to enjoy quality play experiences that they otherwise would not have,” the Mayor said.

“It’s a sustainable solution that reflects our Council’s values and community spirit.”

Since 2016, the RORP project has donated over 400 playgrounds from Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales to overseas communities including Timor Leste, the Philippines, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, South Africa, Cambodia, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea.

The Parkes Rotary Club took on the task of deconstructing and storing the Lions Park equipment until there are enough donations to fill a forty-foot shipping container.

Parkes Rotary Club member, Peter Thompson said the Lions Park equipment will make a real difference.

"This is our Club’s first time participating in a playground relocation project and it’s been incredibly rewarding," he said.

“It takes approximately 14 playgrounds to fill one shipping container, so we are encouraging our neighbouring councils to join the initiative to help make this possible."

The Lions Park play equipment is being replaced as part of the Forbes Lake Activation Parks and Amenities Resilience & Betterment Project jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Community Assets Program.

The Lions Park shade structures are funded under the NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership.

The project will deliver an expanded playground with soft fall rubber surfacing, new shade sails, full restoration of the carpark, new pathways, site-wide drainage improvements, and refreshed landscaping with plant species better suited to local conditions.