BEACONSFIELD residents say they’ve been locked out of their local park for more than four months, despite promises it would reopen by the end of March.

Sardelic Park has remained fenced off for more than 16 weeks while Stockland’s Nara Beaconsfield subdivision is connected to sewer lines, prompting growing frustration among nearby residents.

Resident Diane Robinson said the park was far more than just an area of open space.

“It is a valued community asset where children play, families gather, neighbours meet, and residents enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of accessible green space,” she said.

Residents received a notice in late February from RJ Vincent & Co advising them that a sewer bore would be constructed beneath the southern section of the park.

According to the notice, part of the park would close from February 20, with construction beginning on March 3 and running until the end of March. Residents were told that once the works were complete, “the POS area will be rectified to its previous state for the residents of the area to enjoy.”

Ms Robinson said that commitment had not been met.

• Diane Robinson says works at Sardelic Park finished weeks ago, so she can’t understand why its re-opening has been delayed.

“The construction works were completed weeks ago, yet Sardelic Park remains fenced off, scarred by construction activity, littered with debris, and unavailable for use by the community.

“What was described as a temporary inconvenience has become a prolonged and unacceptable loss of a valued public asset.”

She said residents had repeatedly sought answers from those involved in the project, including the contractor, elected representatives and federal MP Josh Wilson.

“The response has been disappointingly familiar: ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention.’ Then nothing,” she said.

“No timetable. No explanation. No visible remediation work. No accountability.”

Ms Robinson said residents understood that infrastructure projects could temporarily disrupt public spaces but questioned why the park had remained closed long after the works had finished.

“The people of Beaconsfield have been patient and reasonable,” she said.

“We understand that essential infrastructure works sometimes require temporary disruption.”

“What we do not understand is why a public park can be left in a neglected and unusable state for months after works have been completed, despite explicit assurances that it would be restored to its previous condition.

“Public open spaces are not expendable pieces of land to be used and abandoned once development objectives have been achieved.”

The Herald reached out to RJ Vincent who said they’d get back to us.

by STEVE GRANT