By Cr Peter Hemphill
Our open spaces are among the most valued assets in our community, and they are an important part of our lives.
Whether it’s a place for kids to play, for families and friends to relax or take a walk, we are always looking to improve these areas so you can get the most out of them.
It’s always rewarding to see a park become more useful in people’s lives.
Council has been working for several years on developing the space at Mary Street Reserve in Spotswood.
It’s actually something we’ve been talking about with the Spotswood Kingsville RSL since October 2017, and it was later identified by the community as one of 16 projects they wanted as part of the Better Places Spotswood and South Kingsville program.
The locals recognised the potential for the land, which was handed over to the then City of Williamstown in June 1925, nearly a hundred years ago.
Through our initial community consultation, they told us they wanted to make better use of the space, including the old bowling green and car park off The Avenue.
A master plan framework for the Mary Street Reserve has been developed, including a new play space, picnic area, multipurpose sports court and multiuse open grass space, and integrating the building that has been leased by the Spotswood Kingsville RSL.
There is still time for the public to tell us what they think about this master plan framework and help shape the plan for this reserve.
This stage of public consultation closes on Monday 27 March.
You can have your say at participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au.
The draft master plan will then be developed and you’ll have another chance to have your say.
We intend to start work in 2023-24.
Coming up next month is the Heritage Hobsons Bay festival, which is a fantastic program filled with events to entertain and educate us about the incredible history of our city.
I’m incredibly passionate about preserving and celebrating the heritage and history of Hobsons Bay because it has been a significant part of the growth of Melbourne and Victoria.
This year’s festival theme is ‘Shared stories’ and there is a packed program of performances, exhibitions, tours and virtual events exploring our Indigenous, cultural and natural heritage.
For more information, visit hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/heritagehobsonsbay.
