The City of Ballarat needs your input to start the design process for a series of neighbourhood parks.

We are beginning the design process for a series of neighbourhood parks throughout the city. Neighbourhood parks are Ballarat's smallest open spaces intended for regular or frequent use by locals who live nearby. These parks have their own unique character with moderate infrastructure to include play area for children, seating areas, shelter, trees for shade and garden beds for amenity and habitat. These parks are often small in size - a house block or two - and may be a part of a larger inner reserve.

This series builds on the success of the "Small Parks Improvements" program that will see twelve neighbourhood parks improved across 2022 and 2023. Works improve amenity, accessibility, attractiveness, usability, provide natural shade, habitat and increase pedestrian connection. The Neighbourhood Parks Program is a rolling project that looks to design reserves in one financial year for implementation in the next.

Reserves included in this program include:

• Yarana Drive Park (Yarana Drive, Mount Helen)
• Victoria Street Park (63 Victoria Street, Sebastopol)
• Kowree Crescent Park (14-16 Kowree Crescent, Sebastopol)
• Drummond Street Park (311 Drummond Street North, Ballarat Central)
• Clover Street Park (9-13 Clover Street, Wendouree)
• Gregory Street Park (514 Gregory Street, Soldiers Hill)
• Marigold Street Park (12-14 Aster Street, Wendouree).

To start this process, we need your input on each of the selected parks. This input will be used to create a concept deisign for improvements to the whole reserve. We will bring the concept designs back to the community to make sure we got it right.

We won't be able to implement everything that everyone suggests but will will look to implement changes that are sustainable and generally in accordance with the City of Ballarat's design standards and policies relating to neighbourhood parks.

Note: If you'd like to stay up to date on this project, please submit your email address using the 'Subscribe' widget on this page.

How to have your say

There are several ways to have your say on the future improvements of your neighbourhood park. We will update this page with concept designs once they have been developed. Engagement for this stage of the project will close 12 August 2023.

• Complete a survey at the bottom of this page
• Attend an onsite co-design workshop.
  • Yarna Drive Park - 3:00-4:00pm on 25 July 2023.
  • Victoria Street Park - 3:00-4:00pm on 25 July 2023.
  • Gregory Street Park - 4:30-5:30pm on 25 July 2023.
  • Kowrie Street Park - 4:30-5:30om on 25 July 2023.
  • Marigold Street & Clover Street Parks at 3:00-4:00pm on 27 July 2023 at Marigold Street Park.
  • Drummond Street Park - 4:30-5:30pm on 27 July 2023.
• Send an email to citydesign@ballarat.vic.gov.au.

If you can't make the onsite meeting, don't worry - we've got you covered. Feedback received in person, online or via email will be regarded equally.

To get you started we've done a site assessment for each reserve. The assessment looks at opportunities, constraints and ideas for each reserve. These documents are linked in the Document Library on this page. Everything is up for discussion, so bring your creativity!

Stay in Touch! We will send updates via email regarding other opportunities to provide feedback or to let you know that we've progressed in the process. Please stay in touch by adding your email to the widget on this page.

How are reserves selected?

These reserves have been selected based on need or through a community request. Need is assessed as reserves that have not had landscape improvements in at least 15 years, have older equipment that is no longer suited to the needs of the community, provide low levels of amenity, are in areas that have undergone significant change in recent years or are under serving the needs of their community. They were also selected to be spread out across the municipality.

These reserves represent the bottom 25 percent of small parks in terms of accessibility, amenity, diversity of activity, biodiversity, accessibility and usability. This means that they also present the most opportunity for improvement. The City of Ballarat is currently working on year 3 of its 5 year improvements program. These parks will see the changes constructed in financial year 2024/2025.

Why Neighbourhood Parks?

The City of Ballarat has a 5 year program to improve local and neighbourhood parks. Each year we will design and implement changes to 5-10 reserves where the need is greatest. Local and Neighbourhood Parks are classifications in Ballarat's Open Space Strategy (2008) that identify the municipality's smallest open spaces suitable for short interval, regular use by the residents living within a 500-metre catchment. There up to 200 reserves in these categories.

Improvements consider the character of the neighbourhood including connections to the broader open space network where possible. A neighbourhood park might have a small playspace catering to frequent, short duration visits from those living close by while providing an area for safe play where children are under surveillance by adults.

What will change in my local park?

When your neighbourhood parks comes up for renewal, improvements are to be light touch, intended for short but frequent use with a minimum of infrastructure to maintain an open and naturalised feel. Neighbourhood parks contain a minimum of formal infrastructure and, generally, do not contain things like BBQs, toilets, major sporting infrastructure, splash parks, skate parks, rubbish bins, recycle bins, dog poo bags, signage or complex play equipment like a flying fox large climbing frame.

Tree planting for shade and habitat, improving accessibility and provision of habitat will be considered at a minimum for each upgrade. Native and hardy plantings will be the default planting palette unless neighbourhood character indicates otherwise.

How are the works funded?

The Neighbourhood Parks Program is supported by a budget derived from open space contributions collected as part of the planning process from development. The improvements are intended to increase the amenity, quality and usability for the increased populations.

Consultation closes on 12th August, 2023