Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve Revitalisation Project

- Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve draft landscape master plan (PDF 6.63MB)

- Media release – See the future of Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve in new master plan – 23 March 2021
- Media release – Seeking further feedback on Norwood Hill Rec Reserve – 1 December 2020
- Media release – Have a say on Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve – 14 April 2020

The revitalisation of the reserve will enhance the natural environment to improve the health and wellbeing of the community by increasing opportunities for play, social connection, active and passive recreation.

The landscape master plan has been drafted by local landscape architects from Pollen and has been shaped by extensive input from the local community, Dja Dja Wurrung and other First Nations Community Elders and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).

The master plan integrates the community’s ideas with improvements in accessibility with path networks, an increase in gardens and tree planting for future shade. The plan includes additional park seating, picnic settings and signage with local indigenous cultural heritage information.

A staged approach will be taken to realise the landscape plan as detailed below:

Stage one:
In stage one the open space of the reserve will be revitalised with the planting of shade trees, gardens and a new path network to increase accessibility. A new nature play section will be created and enhancements will be made to the barbeque shelter and park furniture. The existing play space will be improved with a new play unit which will expand physical and creative play options for a wider age range of children. The double swing set and the two climbing elements will be retained as will the much loved sandpit with its digger. The community also requested that the cricket net be retained and it will remain in its current location in stage one before being relocated to the hard court in stage two.

Stage two:
Stage two includes the revitalisation of the existing hard courts with the creation of an exciting teen space which will provide lots of opportunity for much more fun.

Young people will be able to enjoy parkour equipment, a new hit-up wall, netball and basketball hoops. In this stage the reserve’s cricket net will be relocated to the western side of the courts.

A large basket swing will be an exciting inclusion to complete the courts.

Stage three:
This stage will see the activation and integration of the Lawrence Street Road reserve. The community desire is to close the road reserve to traffic to increase park user safety whilst providing more open space for play and recreation.

Stage four:
Stage four of the landscape plan includes the integration of a section of DELWP managed land which will be subject to DELWP funding.

Council has committed capital funding totalling $250,000 in the 2020/21 budget to develop the landscape plan and to undertake Stage 1 works. As part of a State Government Community Shade Grant shade tree planting will be completed in this stage to provide long-term shade for the reserve.

Funding for future stages of the landscape master plan will be subject to Council budget considerations and external funding submissions.

The master plan landscape plan that will guide the reserve’s revitalisation over the next 10 years has been completed and is now being publically displayed until Tuesday 6th April 2021. Following public display the plan will be finalised and the landscape architects will commence detailed design and construction planning will commence.

It is anticipated that a landscape construction contract will be awarded by June 2021 with Stage one works commencing in the latter half of the year.

For further information about this project please contact Troy Lyons.

Troy Lyons – Active Communities Team Leader
t.lyons@mountalexander.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 5471 1787