City Of Monash Open Space Strategy Stage 2 – Needs Assessment

1. City Of Monash Open Space Strategy Stage 2 – Needs Assessment Community Stakeholder Meeting

2. How to get the most out of the workshop… • Use key words so we can record most important points • Smile • Big picture in, detail out • Stay focussed on the topic • Speaking in turns saves time • Listen to others carefully • No need to criticise others’ comments • Consensus, not majorities gets results • When in doubt – ask • Please stay for the whole workshop

3. Welcome / introduction Sally Jeavons Director @leisure Planners Bruce Drummond Senior Open Space Planner @leisure Planners Agenda • Overview of project • What we want to know • Your turn • Distribution to open space • How accessible are existing open spaces • Availability of types of open space • Quality • Diversity to meet wide range of needs • By age groups, cultural groups etc • Opportunities? • Priorities? • Other ways to be involved • Where to from here?

4. Overview of project • A robust direction for the future provision, role, design and management of public open space in Monash from 2016-2026. • Public open space means parks, gardens, playgrounds, outdoor sports and recreation facilities, conservation sites and community gardens etc. • Levels of open space provision to ensure the community has access to quality • Understand how open space is used and could be improved to increase use • Forecast population and improvements to meet future open space needs • Identify additional open space contributes positively to existing network. • Produce an open space contribution rate so that the forecast of new population contributes fairly towards meeting their needs. • Priorities and costed program of actions

5. Community and Stakeholder Engagement • Stakeholders Interviews • Household questionnaire • Phone interviews • @leisure website • Email • Comments • Link to surveys • Social media • Facebook page • Twitter • LinkedIn • Written submissions • Email comments • Contact Council

6. What we want to know • Thinking about what Monash will be like in 10 yrs+ - at close to 200,000 people- why type /amount of open space is needed? • How well is open space distributed? • Existing gaps- or areas where residential density will increase? • What type of open spaces are needed for future population • Comments about the quality/ features in existing open space • How can existing open spaces be improved to increase use? • What are the need of different age groups/ cultural groups/ low income / people with a disability

7. How well is open space distributed? • Houses are larger but open spaces are smaller. Households have changed. Most of the dual occupancy. It’s an important change. People are seeking more social activities. Cultural change is impacting as well. • From the group: Does the OS plan include all of Monash. Or only those managed by Monash. • Our view is we need to understand. People don’t differentiate between managers. (Sally) The emphasis will be on what Council can do in its open spaces. What about schools. Very careful important part of the mix. Can’t determine what they are going to do. But Council has important relationships such as sporting relationships. Looking at Partnership arrangements. Long open corridors. The power grid. Occupied very similar as Scotchman’s Creek. It could have been an important part of the trail but its not connected. • (Sally) Many public agencies (Vic Track Melb Water). (Sally) Can contribute to open space values. Whether or not they consciously acknowledge to open space. We try to look at broader opportunities. Then obviously the strategy will inform Council what they can do.   • (Group) Melbourne water land in particular they consider something to be an asset for their purposes. Then they have to maintain it. They did that with the Mt Waverly wetlands. These other organisations do play a part.   • (Sally) In terms of the whole municipality is there a good distribution of Open Space. (Group) It’s distributed haphazardly. More by accident than by planning. Myriad of decisions or non decisions made over 50-60 years. Cannot be answered in a single word. Mulgrave has low open space compared to Waverly Jells Park. Schools fairly evening distributed. (Oakley, Glenn Waverley, Mulgrave). • (Sally) The Strategy will be principally about what council will do.

8. How well is open space distributed? • Scotchman's Creek. Some areas its occupied right up to the banks. From the early days. • There is much less space for kids to play in. Needs to be more open spaces that kids can go in play in. Have trees because are disappearing in back yards. Go and play. There needs to be more open spaces and not necessarily bigger, or too far. More open spaces might encourage kids to actually walk to them. • In some areas there is lots of linear trails but short on other open spaces. • Then group referred to looking at Google Earth on big screen. • Roundabouts. Need more trees in and around round about. More landscape architecture. • Railway land could be planted out with indigenous plants. Railways are assets that tend to be overlooked. • Council is less proactive today about trees like they were 40 years ago. Trees used to be given to new residents. • Now with a high number of people moving in with no real allegiance to the area. Values have become eroded. Old Monash / New Monash. Old Monash does need rejuvenating. But it being totally replaced with new houses but they are bulldozing the whole (lots) (emphasising trees being removed). There seems to be lots of disused land i.e. High St and Stevenson’s road. Seems lots of land doesn’t serve a purpose. • Corners on every street. (without troubling sight lines). Enhancing wildlife links in road cross sections. • The picture we get. There is lots of OS around. Including MW catchment treatment areas. They are increasingly open to do things about there spaces. (Regent Street and Blackburn road). 600m long, 200m wide. Semi grassed strong use locally. Represent kind of asset in case in point. But much less than Oakley. Mt Waverley does better. • Sally (we) look at the diversity of opportunities that are required in a population. Different lifecycle stages. You may want to do different things. One things that appears is roof space. Roof top gardens as open space.

9. How well is open space distributed? • Top left Sherwood Road. Council reserve. Three pocket parks. Was 4 but now 3 as a maternal childhood centre was put in one park. What are its functions? Glenn Waverly activity centre to the north. The road is concrete (pre war). Sat there un used for years. Like the old city of Melb. May have been higher density. • Someone was being very optimistic about what could be done there. But development was overturned (planning matters). Question is Should it be more than that? It has potential. Not just for use. The value and option of having something there. And what restorative values does it have being there. Values other than use. • Open space not too far apart leads to wildlife coming through. Indian Minors are in big numbers. • What about vacant industrial land. • What is being used in this area. Between FTG, Stevenson’s Road and Monash fwy. Is there a lot of dead land. What is its function? Is it all being used for whatever. A school in the vicinity. Various schools (private and public) have good playing fields used over weekends. Doesn’t seem to be used over weekends. Public school more likely to be an option for use. • Why couldn’t there be trees put in. (CSRIO tennis court). Employment cluster. Ever when land is privately owned. Can it be used for temp parks. Drop in parks. Raising the overall amenity in cluster areas (Sean). It's a continual battle with the setbacks. • Inefficient use of space in industrial areas. Prominent locations for corporate headquarters. • Nottingham pub across the road. Seems like a secret building. Belongs to the government for some purpose. Lots of roof space. Putting solar panels on and generating electricity. Gardiner Road Discussion about industrial land. What do you want. Its zoned commercial/private Making better value out of what’s there. For broader population. Are there champions who want to showcase themselves to show a better example of how to use space. Dog walk parks. But given its a 10 year strategy your not going to be able to grow pertinent forest.

10. How well is open space distributed? • Old conifers (old windrow) Bit by bit all going. Not classified as significant. Not replaced. Happy for them to go. But be replaced. What something back to replace the older landscape features. (Stephenson’s Road check if the wind rows are in road reserve). And we want to be aware of the history of the sites. Go back to what Sean was saying. And what the role can play. If council can advocate can improve how commercial owners in the city manage their land as public amenity I think it's a great positive. Council has limited powers. (we are greening Monash. Part of our strategy is to encourage others). • Monash Uni has done well. Use of native plants is positive. Although not indigenous to area. But lots of Uni spaces connected to the city. Maybe they can be involved with shared interests. Come together. Do things that provide community benefit. • Area with gaps. Off Farnham Road. Off Strata Crescent. That oval hasn’t been used . Looks warn. Bushland around it. Natural bushland area. Looks like a lower grade oval. Creates a bit of a dam when wet. Probably overflow. • Mulgrave. Collegiate Avenue. (It has retirement village) some POS and Vegetation). AV Jennings 70s development. Hinkler Road East with bushland reserve. Playground. Quite attractive area. Eastern rosellas are there.

11. Existing gaps in open space or areas where residential density will increase? • Glen Waverley and Oakleigh? • 15% population increase is pretty dense. (Sean) That figure is for all Monash. Around Clayton for instance will have some increase but not the whole 15%. • % of POS can mean lots of things i.e. In north lots of linear open spaces. Contrast with the south with sports grounds but not much else. • (Sally) we normally look at POS through functions, landscape settings or bushland. We ask questions like do you have treed parkland. What about childcare centres. (Sally) usually tucked in behind a sport. So what diversity of function do you have. • Other places where open space is needed now? • (Sally) We are looking for diversity. Can it be made into something different. We look at the balance. Greater diversity, greater age groups, challenge is how do you get off road trails. Can you get a trail in a sports reserve that sought of thing. • (Group) Exercise points, along side of trail is an appropriate extension of function. • (Sally) Do we have the right mix of open space. • Teenagers are important. If you don’t get teenagers out our stewardship is going to be a problem in the future. Schools can often provide some of those functions. But Basketball half court spaces are important for teens to get out. • Looking at the Power Grid Corridor. They’re are areas under the power easement. Near retirement village (Mulgrave). In part underneath the power grid.

12. Existing gaps in open space or areas where residential density will increase? • Glen Waverley and Oakleigh? • Sally an interesting problem to me. People can’t walk. Because no defined circuit. Is a wasted opportunity. View Mt Road Aged Care. Lots of tennis in the area. Is that a velodrome. • Some Councils have very strong views about some easements. These areas are treated in different ways. Sometimes its to do with fire management. Properties underneath the power easement and some noted with large trees • (Group) Can we get more out of single purpose reserves. Lets attract more different groups who use the reserves (not just sport). • Other places where open space is needed now?

13. How accessible are existing open spaces • Group said we don’t automatically want easily accessible places. They need to have some challenge. Not a blanket point of view. • (Sally) Whole populations can miss out if we don’t have some spaces with access. • Parks in Oakleigh used to have crowds of mums and prams. There is a huge long playground in Oak. Heavily used with mums and tots. They used to meet there in the morning. At least the kids will know where it is. • Sometimes when we have tree planting day. Sometimes Indian (background come along). But they often don’t come back. Don’t see many Chinese people about. (Sally) tend to be more gentle users. • Indian people seem to have an interest. They haven’t been here very long, but maybe want to be apart of the community. See what’s going on (Cricket Soccer, Hockey). • People with disabilities. We need balance. (Sean) the world is not flat. Sean (Ringwood East). Has a frog bog. Take kids there. Has playground. Has toilets locked up all the time. • (Sally) it's the same with play spaces. It needs to be accessible. But they (people with disability) don’t expect specially modified swings (but would in a regional park). • We’ve been walking along (Blind Creek) near Knox. Most people don’t know where all the networks go. They know where it is but not what’s behind it. • (Sally) so is information a barrier. • There used to be a brochure. Not sure what happened to it. • (Sally) Some people can have low health and social intelligence. Trying to get them into parks is a challenge. • We think the cultural groups are doing their best. We had two loads of Chinese come to our creek walk. But they had interpreters. • Our bushwalking club had an interpretor for Chinese. They were tough walkers. They all enjoyed themselves. There are barriers to access. Reading skills for example. That was through Council. Now believe there are two walking groups for Chinese. • Teenagers are the main group to focus on. You mentioned basketball. Or is it some teenagers not involved in groups.

14. What type of open spaces are needed for future population Functions of space • Off-road trail corridors • Conservation parks • Social Family / Play parks • Sports parks • Community Gardens • Parks for relaxation or visual amenity • Other? Landscape types • Bushland / Forest • Ornamental / cultivated gardens • Lawn Managed Turf • Treed parks land • Natural wetland / grassland • Other

15. What type of open spaces are needed for future population • (Sally) TheModel of a park. Does it need to improve. • We just need a variety. Just have a enough of them dotted around. Couples head to the Glenn. So its what they want to hang out in. What’s pleasurable for couples. You have to make your shopping centre environ very attractive to people moving through, eating, playing and including the road. • Little community place. Next to the bowling green at Central Reserve (they do Tai Chai). It’s all very well to have parks. But it needs to have a little hub to attract people to it (a structure). Even on wet days. Maybe put in an amphitheatre, something different, Concert, Movies under the stars. Or something like that is attractive. We tried to change the reserve name but couldn’t. The reserve has different functions and but not soley conservation. • Sometimes we get blocks that a developer decides to sub-divide. Council needs 10% for public space from developers. Particularly where schools have been sold. Developers need to provide open space so you are allowing more and more of these little spaces for trees. It will increase to area of little parks. (Sean) move away from pocket parks for 40 years. • (Sally) The dilemma is 15 little slices you lose diversity of function. • But if you are looking at a situation where the majority of residents have little yards. It’s problematic. Kids (12 year olds) should be old enough to go a short way from home. It’s about getting the balance. • (Sean doesn’t think Monash has had an Open Space Strategy for ever). In reference to the sale of school sites. The school sites were quiet small i.e. 5% of 2 hectares is not enough. Some developers try to get rid of small spaces. But Council has tended to take the $ contribution to embellish other parks.

16. What are the need of different age groups/ cultural groups/ low income / people with a disability • (Group) There is not much for teenagers. Open Space is important for social development. We want risk taking spaces. Where safety is higher risk where you need a Helmut, high ropes. Stuff for Primary School Kids to create dams, dig mud. Let them build with disused stuff. Kids used to play in culverts. It’s difficult to do now. Exploring your neighbourhood. • I think that all of the functions of space are represented in Monash. It's a questions of balance. We focus on the conservation. We are biased. But I think that there is a lack of social family play parks. This is likely to get worse than better. Not like box hill. Cultivated Gardens. Like Marinoa Gardens (off Whitehouse Road Balwyn). But can’t see it happening in Monash because of cost. • Thinking of a club room to be put in larger passive parks. Somewhere to gather. • Shopping centres need to be serene places rather than being totally car orientated. Pine Wood is a disaster. Aesthetically. Even the Mt Waverly activity centre it shouldn’t have a super market in the middle. Eton Mall in Oakley. Large potted trees. More consideration given to the social spaces that are provided by commercial centres for users of these places • Green leafy is the main message by Council. But cut down as many trees as possible to build more houses. The message is not consistent. • Emerging communities. Educating the new arrivals about the importance of trees. Education program. • Some thinking that gardening is a low status activity. • If the Community still want a garden character. • (Sean) House sold next to Wesley College sold for 4.8 mil. Promoting automated blinds, Dallas type entrance into the house. It's a challenge for Council to get developers to think locally for benefit for all community. Perception is that they are successful with big house. Kidding ourselves if we are convincing developers otherwise.   • We see Chinese people with their kids. Usually an older adult with a younger child (maybe grandparents baby sitting). • Sometimes Dog Park needs a fenced off dog park. • Many people from Asian countries like to fly kites. Don't see much. We don’t see archery. • (Sally) Are most places accessible). Have most of them got good paths.

17. What improvements to quality can be made? • (Sally) Unless you get larger parks its more difficult to get canopy and the other functions that make it something for everyone. • Comment on the cost of land. Council can’t afford to buy more open space i.e. NSW. But in Melbourne it hasn’t been popular. (Sean) The issue is having a strategy that allows you to do it. And having the budget to buy it in the long run. Educating people. It’s not simple as saying it's a cost burden on the developer. It’s about a contribution to the future community.It’s about a strategy that the Org is 100% behind. • Meeting capped off with providing people with links, and survey. All attendees indicated they wanted to be involved with further inputs with the strategy. • Meeting closed at 8.00pm

18. How can existing open spaces be improved to increase use?

19. Other opportunities to improve the network of open space in Monash

20. Priorities?

21. Other comments or thoughts ?

22. How to be involved further • Fill in the online survey • Write a submission • Make comments on the web page • Provide feedback on a draft of the strategy when released

23. Where to from here • Review of literature • Demand and consultation • Supply and demand • Open space contributions • Costed Program

24. Other comments or thoughts ?