City of Whittlesea is upgrading the WA Smith and Sycamore Reserves.

We’ve already consulted with sports clubs, schools, kindergartens, and residents and are now sharing with the community the draft master plan for the WA Smith and Sycamore Reserve Upgrade. Feedback received in phase 1 has been considered in the development of the master plan design.

We invite the community to view the master plan and let us know if we’ve missed anything before, we finalise the plan and present it for Council endorsement in late 2023.

The draft master plan looks at how to improve the reserve over the long term. This includes planning the reserve to make it more inclusive for all community members, increasing facilities and features, and creating a prioritised action list.

• Co-location of WA Smith Community Facilities
  The master plan proposes to locate the pavilion in a position that does not block visibility into the reserve to create better passive surveillance and safety. The new pavilion is also an opportunity to combine the kindergarten into the same building with the aim to increase open space and encourage community recreation.
  
• Small Sycamore community building.
  The community building proposed to replace the pavilion in Sycamore reserve aims to be a flexible community space that can address the immediate needs of the soccer clubs currently using the field and can be adopted for other uses in the future.
  
• Bridge connection
  A new bridge connection from WA Smith to Sycamore will create a more visible and safer route for park users and cyclists. The bridge will be raised to avoid floods and offer views into the park. This route will be lit.
  
• Informal recreation facilities
  The draft master plan recommends the inclusion of a large central play space, walking trails, and viewing platforms along the Darebin Creek to increase usage of the reserves for casual play and activities.
  
• Park lighting
  To increase safety and visibility, lighting is proposed along the main walking trails through the site, and in the car parks.

Once the draft master plan is finalised, the recommended actions will be prioritised for construction. Construction will be phased over a number of years and will include detailed design and further consultation with affected stakeholders.

The constantly changing below ground conditions of Sycamore Reserve makes it unsuitable as a sports field, with the surface likely to develop bumps and depressions.