A key part of the master plan’s vision, and the goal for the development, is to improve perceptions of safety, visibility, encourage visitation and expand pedestrian links into the park.

This will in turn encourage more residents to attend the gardens and enjoy the family-friendly facilities Council has installed since the Whittlesea Public Gardens Master Plan 2018 was endorsed.

The proposed subdivision will also help to address the demand for diverse housing options as a consequence of the City of Whittlesea’s rapid population growth.

Furthermore, the potential sale of the subdivided lots will provide Council with additional revenue that can be reinvested back into essential community infrastructure and services.

The planning permit application, which is under consideration (as at November 2024), provides for 25 individual lots ranging in size from 302 square metres to 614 square metres, with an average lot size of 325 square metres. These lot sizes have been strategically designed to best suit double storey houses, to maximise visibility to the park.

If the planning permit is approved, the project team will undertake further investigations, including examining the potential for allocating a portion of the 25 lots to social and affordable housing. Any proposal for social and affordable housing will be subject to a decision by Council.

Currently, there are an estimated 4409 households in need of affordable housing in the City of Whittlesea. The inclusion of social and affordable housing options in the Downs Road residential subdivision would support social inclusion, participation, place making and economic productivity.

Residents and land owners in the immediate vicinity of the proposed development will be contacted by Council’s Planning team during the planning permit application’s public notice period and invited to provide feedback on the subdivision.

Anyone who may be affected by the granting of the permit can also have their say in writing, by email, or through this page during the public notice period.

If the planning permit is approved, there will be a further community consultation process to help inform the detailed design of the subdivision, including the road and service infrastructure.

How the lots in the proposed subdivision will be developed (and potentially sold) has not yet been determined. As part of further investigations, Council will evaluate the sale and development options and select the option that best aligns with the project’s objectives and is in the best interests of the community.

Council conducted an extensive community consultation process to inform the development of the master plan, including:

• Letter drop to 1400 properties within one kilometre radius of the Whittlesea Public Gardens
• Letter or email with draft plan sent to 55 community groups and organisations
• Face-to-face workshop with community groups and organisations
• Inclusion on Council’s Have Your Say webpage and social media posts across multiple platforms
• Community pop-up session with Council officers
• Stall at the Whittlesea Community Festival

Council has taken a staged approached to implementing the recommendations of the master plan, focusing initially on making the gardens a go-to destination for families.

The first stage of the redevelopment was finished in December 2022 and included a new playground with play tower, flying fox, rope climbing unit, swings, slides, trampolines, nature play, learn-to-ride area and more.

The second stage was finished in 2024 and featured a 100-metre-long street-style skate park, two half-court basketball courts, rock climbing wall, kick-about space with soccer goals and a range of amenities such as shelters, seating, lighting and paths to make visitors to the park more comfortable.

Planning is also underway on projects to improve the gardens’ car park, off-leash dog park, water bodies and shared cycling and pedestrian paths.

For more information about the work done in recent years to revitalise the Whittlesea Public Gardens, go to www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/publicgardens