By Kerri-Anne Mesner
RESIDENTS will have two months to submit their comments on Brimbank City Council’s $34 million plan to create better and sustainable parks across the municipality.
The draft open space and playground policy and plan covering eight years was made available on the council’s website yesterday.
The council’s urban design manager Nick Mann said the project proposed to create three types of parks in Brimbank — district, suburban and neighbourhood.
He said there would be 26 new playgrounds created on council-owned land as part of the project, with the majority of the work planned for existing parks.
Work has already begun, including a $1million project to fill in the gaps on the trails along Kororoit Creek and Taylors Creek of which more than $400,000 came from the State Government, and about $500,000 for 10 new or improved playgrounds.
Other works included in this year’s budget are:
– $360,000 for the construction of stage one for the masterplan development of Lakes Reserve — which was an open space.
– $30,000 for the Buckingham Reserve detailed design of stage one of the district park development.
– Working towards the development of a park in Ardeer.
“Today we are starting the redevelopment of a park in Cairnlea where the grass type will be changed to be more drought tolerant,” Mr Mann said.
The council’s engineering and operations general manager Leigh Harrison said the intention of the policy and plan was to be as sustainable as possible, considering the current drought, and to reduce the need to employ any more staff to maintain the parks once upgrades were completed.
“The level of resources that we currently have will not increase dramatically,” he said.
Brimbank chief executive officer Nick Foa said the annual survey of Brimbank residents showed the main area residents wanted to see improved was the parks and gardens in the municipality.
He said the $34 million would come from council, successful grants applications with state and federal governments and contributions from developers.
There will be five district parks located at Lagoon Reserve in Keilor, Buckingham Reserve in Sunshine West, the Lakes Reserve in Taylors Lakes, Isabella William Reserve in Albanvale and Errington Reserve in St Albans.
Mr Mann said the district parks would be the focal point of parks in the community and would be within 15 minutes drive for surrounding residents.
“Four of the parks are located along Brimbank waterways,” he said.
Mr Mann said features of the district parks would include boardwalks, viewing platforms, playgrounds, barbecue areas, picnic shelters, and facilities such as car parking and toilets.
He said there would be 26 suburban parks across the municipality, which will be within 20 minutes walk from most residents in the surrounding areas.
“We’ve looked at an even spread across the municipality (for locations of suburban parks),” Mr Mann said.
The suburban parks will feature playgrounds, open space for ball play, and most will have picnic facilities, shelters and barbecues.
Mr Mann said some of the suburban parks will feature ball playing facilities for teenagers such as basketball courts.
The third different type of parks will be neighbourhood parks which will be located about five to 10 mins walking distance for surrounding residents.
These parks will include basic facilities such as playgrounds, canopy trees and ball play areas.
Some parks, such as the heritage listed McKay gardens in Sunshine, will not be part of the three different types in the policy, but will be included.
