Beloved tree swing disappears from Onekawa, Napier park

Beloved tree swing disappears in an Onekawa park, leaving local residents disappointed. Photo / Supplied

A beloved tree swing in an Onekawa Park has gone missing, leaving a local resident and her child disappointed.

Kimberley Gillam said her 3-year-old daughter asked to go on the swing at Plantation Reserve between Taradale Rd and Kennedy Rd every morning, before its disappearance.

"My daughter River started kindergarten BestStart Riverbend Road in September last year and within a few weeks of walking to drop her off in the mornings we noticed the swing across the creek," she said.

"We started walking down that side to have a play and break up our walk a little bit. I've even told a few friends about the swing and posted pictures of my daughter playing on it on social media."

Gillam added: "After the Christmas holidays, in which we had some time away from kindergarten, we noticed the swing had disappeared."

Resident Kimberley Gillam said her 3-year-old daughter asked to go on the swing at the Plantation Reserve, between Taradale Rd and Kennedy Rd, every morning. Photo / Google Maps

A Napier City Council spokeswoman said over recent months, several swings and other public structures have been removed.

"In the past couple of months, council has been made aware of several swings or tree huts in public spaces that were unstable and could collapse or break at any time, causing serious injury to anyone playing on them," she said.

"We realise they would have been fun to build, and use, but if someone was hurt council could be liable if we knowingly allowed this play equipment we knew to be unsafe to remain in place."

The spokeswoman added: "Council delivered letters to nearby residents informing them that these structures – five in total around the city – were about to be removed."

However, the NCC spokeswoman said the swing in question was not one of the structures that council contacted residents about.

"We would much prefer that children use the playgrounds council provides - there are 27 of them," she said.

Gillam said her daughter was a frequent user of the swing and had promised to find out what happened to it.

"River used to enjoy the swing a whole lot. She always would ask to go on it every single morning before kindergarten."