Ageing Well Service ranked 8th as a community priority.

A total of 145 participants selected Ageing Well services as a priority area. This included both online (56) and in person (89).

The 56 participants that selected Ageing Well services as a priority area online were asked to identify which service type was most important to them. Services were found to be equally important with Aged Care at home care services such as domestic assistance, delivered meals and personal care etc (80%) and positive ageing and social connection including social support and seniors’ clubs etc (79%).

Eighteen participants took the opportunity to add additional comment through this priority area, highlighting confusion around available services and how to access them. Participants also recognised the value of the services as well as suggesting other ideas such as additional social connection opportunities, more support for carers and new services including bus transport and annual cleaning of high areas for aged residents.

Animal Management Services ranked 12th as a community priority

Aa total of 123 participants selected Animal Management services as a priority area - 26 online and 97 in-person.

The online participants (26) that selected this is as a priority area provided additional information and identified responsible pet ownership programs (77%) as the highest priority service area for animal management services. Animal management (62%), wat djerring Animal Facility (54%) and animal collections followed (42%). Three participants suggested other important service areas including new dog parks and enforcing pet laws such as picking up after your dog, walking dogs on leads and roaming cats.

Eight participants took the opportunity to add additional comment through this priority area highlighting the desire for increased enforcement of pet related laws and suggesting extended services including the provision of steel council tags and education sessions.

Arts culture and Events ranked 5th as a community priority.

A total of 215 participants identified Arts, Culture and Events in their top three priority areas, 71 of these online and 144 in-person.

The 71 online participants were asked to select their priorities within Arts, Culture and Events and could provide additional feedback. PRACC as the most selected priority service areas with 63 percent of online participants seeing it as a priority, 54% identified festivals and events.

Twenty-four participants took the opportunity to add additional comment through this priority area highlighting the need for PRACC to be refurbished, for events to be promoted earlier and for additional community art and performing art opportunities.

Technical Response

We are revising our plans and approaches to connect to more residents throughout the municipality with a broader range of arts and cultural events. Recently we have made significant improvements to the technical infrastructure at PRACC to provide high quality performances and services for audiences. At PRACC, we are investigating methods to improve the visitor experience, facilities, and cultural programming to ensure we provide a high quality and rounded cultural experience. We are investing in new cultural and engagement opportunities through festivals, events, workshops, and creative activities for residents to embrace their creativity and feel connected to their community.

Community Facilities ranked 3rd as a community priority

A total of 291 people selected Community Facilities in their top three priority areas - 128 submitted online and 163 in person.

The 128 Participants that selected Community Facilities as a priority area were asked to identify which service type was most important to them. Sporting facilities (64%) and aquatic facilities (54%) were the highest priority service areas with libraires (34%) and community activity centres (33%) following.

Sixty-seven respondents took the opportunity to add extra comments, 24 of which related to not having appropriate sporting or community facilities close to home. A further 23 comments identified the facilities as being old and run down. Fifteen participants took the opportunity to suggest ways to improve community facilities and five comments related to libraries.

Redleap Reserve, Mill Park

Eight people provided comments relating to Redleap Reserve, Mill Park in particular

Technical response

Council has completed an audit on all sporting facilities, including pavilions (Sports Infrastructure Renewal Manual) to identify pavilion upgrade priorities for all Council reserves. This is based on several categories, including female friendly facilities, sporting guidelines, participation and asset life cycle. Council is delivering an LED Lighting Upgrade at Redleap Reserve this financial year.

Council are currently building the Regional Sports Precinct to accommodate the growing community need for indoor courts, including 4 x indoor and 8 x outdoor multiuse courts.

RGC Cook Reserve

There were four comments about RGC Cook reserve in particular

Technical response

Council has completed an audit on all sporting facilities, including pavilions (Sports Infrastructure Renewal Manual) to identify pavilion upgrade priories for all Council reserves. This is based on several categories, including female friendly facilities, sporting guidelines, participation and asset life cycle. Council have been working with the club on site on several items including connection pathways, ball catching fence (installed October 2024) and overall facility condition.

Community Safety ranked 4th as a community priority.

In total 240 participants selected Community Safety services in their top three priority area. This includes both online (79) and in-person (161) participants.

Seventy-nine respondents provided further information about what was important to them in relation to community safety. The lighting of public spaces (77%), education and enforcement of Community Local Law (66%) and the prevention of violence against women - access to prevention programs (58%) were the most important service areas within community safety. School crossings (41%) and immunisation services (27%) followed. Four participants suggested other ideas including gang and youth violence prevention, better bike rider safety and Police or security presence at local shops.

Community Wellbeing ranked 10th as a community priority.

A total of 126 participants selected Community Wellbeing services in their top three priority areas, 39 of these were shared online and the remaining 87 captured in-person.

Reflective of the current climate, financial vulnerability/cost-of-living support and preventative programs (56%) was the most important service area to those that identified community wellbeing as a priority area online. Other service areas seen as most important within this priority area were inclusion and participation of persons with a disability (51%), food insecurity and healthy eating - access and education (44%), volunteering (44%), inclusive and accessible services including Aboriginal Services, multicultural communtiies (CALD), disability and LGBTIQ+ (38%), and homelessness and affordable housing advocacy (38%). Community grants (33%), community participation and leadership programs and training (31%) and gambling harm minimisation preventative programs and advocacy (15%) were also important to participants. Three people provided other suggestions of wellbeing for the elderly, air quality with smoke from chimneys, veteran welfare and suicide prevention.

Emergency Management ranked 11th as a community priority.

A total of 124 participants selected Emergency Management services in their top three priority areas, 38 of these shared online and the remaining 86 captured in-person.

Located on the regional fringe emergency preparedness education and resilience (61%) was most important to the 38 online participants that selected Emergency Management as a priority area. Emergency activity and response to disasters (55%) and disaster planning – preparation and mitigation (45%) were also important.

Family and Children ranked 6th in community priorities.

A total of 209 participants selected Family and Children services in their top three priority areas, with 79 sharing this online and 130 in-person.

The 79 people who provided feedback online had the opportunity to provide additional information. Kindergarten (70%) and Maternal Child Health services (57%) were most important to those that indicated family and children is a priority area. The other service areas of training and education (46%) supported playgroups (43%), and family day care (30%) followed.

Local business and employment ranked 13th in community priorities.

A total of 105 participants selected Local Business and Employment services in their top three priority areas, with 37 responding online and 68 in-person.

Of the 37 online participants that selected local business and employment as a priority area identified business support (59%) investment attraction (59%) and retail precincts including night-time economy (57%) as the most important service areas to them. Visitor economy followed with 30% identifying this service area as most important. Four people listed other things of importance including recruitment, activity centre zoning in Epping and tourism.

A total of 18 participants provided additional comments about topics such as local employment opportunities, investment attraction, the importance of visual aesthetics and cleanliness in business area surrounds, network events and local employment support and work experience opportunities.

Parks, playgrounds and open space ranked 2nd in community priorities

In total 299 participants selected Parks, Playgrounds and Open Space services in their top three priority areas, with 128 sharing this online and 171 in-person.

The 128 participants that selected parks, playgrounds and open space as a priority area online were asked to identify which service type was most important to them. There was an equal importance of maintenance (74%) and the development of new playgrounds and renewal of existing playgrounds (69%). Nine percent of responses were for other open space services such as creating more green spaces, new dog and pet friendly spaces, BBQ’s, toilets in playgrounds and workout/fitness equipment.

What is your favourite park, playground or open space in the City of Whittlesea?

Sixty-eight people told us what their favourite park was and the top five within the municipality were Mill Park All Abilities Playground, Plenty Gorge Parklands, Whittlesea Public Gardens, Quarry Hills and Redleap Park/Peter Hopper Lake.

Which existing playground needs renewing or where would you like to see a new playground established?

Fifty-one people provided details on where they would like parks renewed or new parks built. Feedback received was fairly widespread across the municipality and included renewals and areas for new parkland.

There were sixty-eight additional comments for parks, playgrounds and open space. The most raised topic related to maintenance (24) followed by updating existing parks (15). Nine participants mentioned toilets, bins and other facilities and a further eight mentioned areas for new park opportunities. Other topics raised included dirt bike rider issues, walking tracks, exercise equipment, more trees, accessibility, dog parks and the Quarry Hills and Granite Hills Park areas.

Roads, public transport and footpaths was the top community priority.

A total of 374 participants selected Roads, Public Transport and Footpath services in their top three priority areas, 154 doing so online and 220 in-person.

The 154 participants that selected Roads, public transport and footpaths online as a priority area were asked to identify which service type was most important to them. Local road maintenance and renewal (64%), road safety and traffic management (56%) and footpath and shared user path maintenance and renewal (56%) were the most important service areas for these participants. Transport planning (45%), public transport advocacy (40%), parking (39%) and cycling infrastructure and new shared user paths (28%) followed.

The 78 respondents made 109 comments about roads. The most common road mentioned was Yan Yean Road which is a Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) managed road. 10 people said all roads should be maintained. The second most common road mentioned was Donnybrook Road which is also a DTP road.

Which footpath or shared user path do you think needs renewing or maintaining?

In total 56 participants answered this additional question with South Morang being the suburb with the most comments about paths.

Where is parking a priority to you?

A total of 44 participants offered additional feedback about where parking in a priority to them.

Train Stations and shopping areas were the top places where parking is important both having 11 comments each. Street parking was the next priority with seven comments. Disability/Seniors parking and Parks/community spaces both had five, bus stops, schools and generally all areas were other topics.

Where would you like to see new cycling infrastructure or new shared user paths?

A total of 31 people responded to the question about cycling infrastructure or new shared user paths. Comments included bike path connections, dedicated bike paths and protected cycle lanes.

General comments about roads, public transport and footpaths

There were 90 participants who took the opportunity to share extra comments. Almost a third of the comments related to road maintenance, closely followed by road safety and road planning. Respondents also shared details about missing or damaged footpaths, traffic management suggestions, cycling infrastructure and parking.

Sustainable Environment ranked 7th in community priorities.

There were 155 participants that selected Sustainability services in their top three priority areas, with 45 doing so online and 110 in-person.

Forty-five people who selected Sustainable Environment as a community priority online answered additional questions. City forest - urban greening (76%) was the most important service area to those that identified sustainable environment as a priority area. Also important were climate change (58%), biodiversity (53%) and waste and recycling (53%).

The 24 participants that selected waste and recycling as an important service area told us that recycling (71%), dumped rubbish (58%), hard waste collections (42%), kerbside rubbish and recycling (38%) and education and awareness campaigns (38%) were the most important part of waste and recycling.

Youth ranked 9th as a community priority.

A total of 143 participants selected Youth services in their top three priority areas - 43 online and 100 in-person.

There were forty-three participants online that identified the most important service area to them within the Youth service area. Social recreation including movie nights, youth takeover nights and karaoke nights were seen as the most important service area by 81% of those that selected youth as a priority area. Youth leadership and personal development including programs such as the Young Women’s Leadership Program and teen Mental First Aid (57%) were also important.

Participants also had the opportunity to respond to additional questions related to this priority area. What we heard through these are as below:

Have you/your child participated in any Council run youth leadership or development programs?

Six respondents answered yes and 10 respondents answered no.

Have you/your child attended any Council run social activities?

12 respondents answered yes and 15 respondents answered no.

Nineteen participants provided additional comments with key themes being connection to activities and community, youth employment, social opportunities and promotion of activities.