Council gives space back to creek and community

Council gives space back to creek and community

Merri-bek City Council have decided to turn all 1500 square metres of land at 2a John Street, Oak Park into open space for our community.

$128,000 will be spent to create a space with seating, signage, a drinking fountain, vegetation and an accessible path that connects to John Street.

This is great news for the Chain of Ponds community and Moonee Ponds Creek!

After being told about the sale by the Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek, in July 2021 Council quickly jumped at the opportunity to purchase the property, with the idea of extending the open space and continuing the walking path next to the trail.

Important decisions about what to do with the land were made in the recent May Council meeting. An option to subdivide the land was discussed however, Council agreed to retain all of the land for the community!

At the meeting Council resolved to:

• Retain all of the land for the purposes of public open space;
• Demolish all of the structures on site and clean up the site;
• Endorse the draft Concept Plan for the land for community consultation;
• Allocate $128,000 for improvement works to convert the site into open space; and
• Rezone the land from Neighbourhood Residential Zone to a Public Park and Recreation Zone.

What’s next?

Demolition of the buildings on site is expected to occur later this year. Once the site is clear Council will explore how to incorporate the accessible path connection to John Street and complete revegetation works.

“This is a great outcome for the environment and local residents who are keen to access the creek”. Says Charlotte Napper, Conservation Programs Officer, Merri-Bek Council. “It will protect open space within this urbanised section of the creek. It’s also a great outcome in terms of accessibility because we’ll be able to take the path across the land - improving access to the creek for all members of the community. We’ll be keeping our eye out for any other opportunities like this in the future”.