By Matthew Sims
Hobsons Bay council has approved a $4.79 million contract for landscaping and construction works in Altona Meadows, as part of the first stage of upgrades outlined in the Bruce Comben Reserve Master Plan.
At the council meeting on Tuesday, March 14, councillors passed a motion to award a contract to JMac Constructions Pty Ltd at a fixed lump sum price of $4,793,639.
Hobsons Bay deputy mayor Diana Grima said the project would help create a social community which could meet at the new facilities within the reserve.
“The project includes a new network of paths, a new exciting playground, new picnic facilities including shading and barbecue and toilet facilities, new multi-use courts, a fully fenced off-leash dog zone and new car parks.
“These are things that the community has been lobbying for for years.”
The council adopted the Bruce Comben Reserve Master Plan at its council meeting on September 8, 2020.
The first stage of works would focus on the Southern Open Space Project at the southern end of the reserve and the adjacent car park.
To reduce the cost associated with the tender, the contract has included a reduced car park, with the delivery of the extended car park consistent with the Bruce Comben Reserve Master Plan set to be delivered with future works associated with the delivery of the Western Aquatic and Early Years Centre.
Hobsons Bay councillor Matt Tyler said he was “really pleased” to see the project get under way and was looking forward to seeing the completed works by the end of the year.
“It’s in a really important spot, essentially bridging Seabrook and Altona Meadows,” he said.
“At this stage, it’s a beautiful open space, but I think much more could be done to make better use of that space while preserving the beautiful Skeleton Creek and the characteristics that make that neck of the woods so beautiful.”
