Small Parks Big Impacts

New play equipment, garden beds, shady trees, picnic furniture and accessible paths are being proposed to help bring tired open spaces across the City of Ballarat back to life.  

Residents can now help shape their local park, in the Small Parks Improvements Program currently underway in suburbs across the city.  

Works are to improve amenity, attractiveness, usability, natural shade and habitat as well as increase pedestrian access and connections.  

An online portal is now open which details the parks in the program and the community is encouraged to get involved in the development of the draft plans.  

The proposed improvements will vary across the open spaces, but typically include tree plantings to increase natural shade, improved seating areas and paths, play equipment, and shelters to increase the use and amenity of the park.  

Spread throughout suburbs across the city, the local open spaces that are being upgraded this year are: 

• Cuthberts Road Reserve in Alfredton.  

• Vale Street Reserve in Alfredton. 

• Horsham Crescent Reserve in Alfredton. 

• Webb Avenue Reserve in Ballarat East. 

• Inkerman Gully Reserve in Ballarat North.  

• Peel Street Reserve in Black Hill. 

• Orchard Estate Reserve in Brown Hill.  

• Hearn Road Reserve in Brown Hill. 

• Hermitage Avenue Reserve in Mt Clear.  

• Glenvale Road Reserve in Mt Clear.  

• College Street Reserve in Wendouree.  

• Shaw Avenue Reserve in Wendouree. 

The City of Ballarat has invited residents to have their say on their local park upgrades, with a letter recently sent out directing them to the mySay website page to view a larger plan of the proposed upgrades and to fill out a brief survey.  

Once consultation concludes on 10 October 2022, resident feedback on the concepts will be considered before going to detailed design and tender. It is expected that all of the park upgrades will commence in the new year. 

The projects will be funded from Open Space Developer Contributions which are monetary contributions provided by developers of subdivisions for the improvement of parks and reserves.  

The City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney said it is great to be able to engage with the active users of each of the open spaces.  

“This gives our community the opportunity to let us know what they want and need from their local park and gives them a chance to be a part of the upgrades at their park,” he said. 

“Some of these parks haven’t seen changes in decades. They are in need of some love and care to be able to bring them up to a consistent standard that the community needs.”  

If one of the parks listed above is in your local area, jump on to the City of Ballarat mysay page to view the concept designs and have your say.