The housing development has been proposed to enhance the safety and accessibility of Whittlesea Public Gardens. This will be achieved through the construction of a new local road and footpaths and through the orientation of the residential housing overlooking the park.

Please see ‘What are the expected benefits of the proposed subdivision?’ for further information.

A key part of the Whittlesea Public Gardens 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 was approved at the 20 May 2025 Council Meeting, 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.

The City of Whittlesea's planning framework and the planning permit conditions ensure that the development will integrate well with the surrounding neighbourhood. This will also include the incorporation of design guidelines to guide the built form of the houses.

The inclusion of social and affordable housing for this development has not yet been determined. 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 this residential subdivision would support social inclusion, participation, place making and economic productivity.

The land earmarked for development is currently classified as vacant land; however, there is thick vegetation present on the easterly border that will require removal.

Although a planning permit is not required for the removal of this vegetation, Council is committed to protecting the biodiversity of the area. Further investigations will be undertaken to explore how vegetation can be protected and/or replaced as the development proceeds.

The development is in the early stages, with internal planning underway. Detailed design for the development is expected to start late 2025, with construction currently earmarked to commence in 2027, subject to funding approval.

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.

Improvements to the gardens are continuing, with a soon-to-open off-leash dog park, and plans for a new car park, walking and cycling paths and water features underway.

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