Public AED coverage is on its way to Dudley Page Reserve, and that feels overdue.
The Waverley committee approved a publicly accessible defibrillator for the Dover Heights reserve. Council wants it installed by 31 December 2026. On paper, that sounds like a neat administrative win. In practice, it is a sensible move for a place that already draws plenty of people.
Dudley Page Reserve is not a quiet patch of grass tucked away from life. Council describes it as a flat field with harbour views, a cricket pitch and an outdoor gym. It also has a modern Playground, a bike track and plenty of shade for picnics. Add the New Year’s Eve fireworks and those sunset views, and the crowd makes perfect sense.
This is exactly the kind of place where public AED coverage matters.
A practical step, not just a policy line
The committee did more than approve one device and move on. It also required council-owned AEDs to be registered with NSW Ambulance’s GoodSAM system. That should make the units easier to find in an emergency. And when every second counts, that matters more than any glossy policy phrase.
Just as importantly, councillors asked for a wider plan. Officers must look at other busy parks and reserves that may also need lifesaving equipment. They will consider visitation, recreation use, nearby AEDs, ambulance response times and power availability. That is a sensible list.
It treats public AED coverage as part of everyday community planning, not an afterthought.
A reserve that brings people together
Dudley Page Reserve already serves a lot of different people. Families come for the Playground and shade. Sport users come for the pitch, gym and bike track. Visitors come for the view, the open space and the outlook over the harbour. That mix helps explain why the reserve stood out for the committee.
This is where local decisions really count. A device like this may sit quietly on the wall for years.
Still, it can change everything in a sudden emergency. That is what makes public AED coverage such a practical investment in a busy place.
The right kind of local attention
The good part here is the scale of the response. Council has not acted as if one reserve tells the whole story. Instead, it has started a broader process that may lead to more units elsewhere. That is the right way to think about it.
For Dover Heights and surrounding suburbs, the decision is welcome news.It recognises what locals already know. Dudley Page Reserve is popular, well used and worth supporting properly.
Now it has a clearer path to better emergency readiness as well.
Published 13-October-2026
