Belgrave South Recreation Reserve Improvements
Following initial investigations and community consultations in March 2021, Council was successful in securing grant funding from Department of Justice and Community Safety to support delivery to revitalise a community space in the Belgrave South Recreation Reserve which aims to;
- Upgrades and improvements of the facilities
- Perceptions of safety / feeling safe within the reserve
- Deterring antisocial behaviour
The space is currently used for walking, running, sport and other recreational uses by local sporting clubs and residents. The site has ongoing tenancy by the South Belgrave Football/Netball teams, South Belgrave Cricket Club as well as Selby, Belcoma & Belgrave Netball Clubs who train at the site.
After further community engagement, including additional sessions with a local secondary school and a drop in session at the reserve open for all community members to attend, your feedback has been incorporated into the final designs.
This project will now progress to tender with works expected to commence from February 2024.
Community consultation
What we have heard so far
This guided walk was attended by 10 locally connected women who walked with us in the space and shared their experiences, thoughts and future needs.
Attendees were asked questions at various locations within the broader reserve such as:
- what they liked or how they felt about the space?
- what they didn’t like about the space?
- what was missing from the space or what they might like to see?
Following the walk to help in drawing out general themes through the use of theme boards attendees were asked to identify with suggested themes depicting:
- art elements
- youth spaces
- and gathering spaces.
The questions and results from the walk were facilitated by Women’s Health East, who will deliver a report to inform and shape the future design concepts.
Consultation was held with group classes from Grade 3 through to Grade 6, with boys and girls attending from the surrounding area.
Students were shown images of the spaces and were asked questions like:
- what they liked or felt about the space?
- what they didn’t like about the space?
- what was missing from the space or what they might like to see?
To help in drawing out general themes through the use of theme boards students were asked to identify with suggested themes depicting:
- art elements
- youth spaces
- and gathering spaces.
This voting was used to facilitate questions with the students who were asked to discuss with the broader class and draw images of the future spaces.
The session was really helpful and allowed for the local students to have their voice heard, with the results of this session used to inform and shape the final design concepts.
Strong engagement with the local youth will help to draw people into the project and build a greater connection and ownership with the future space.
Consultation was held with 28 female school council students ranging from Year 7 to Year 12.
Students were shown images of the spaces and were asked questions like:
- what they liked or felt about the space?
- what they didn’t like about the space?
- what was missing from the space or what they might like to see?
To help in drawing out general themes, students were asked to identify with suggested themes depicting:
- art elements
- youth spaces
- and gathering spaces.
These completed theme boards were used to facilitate questions & discussion with the students.
The session was really helpful and allowed for the local students to have their voice heard, with the results of this session used to inform and shape the final design concepts.
Strong engagement with the local youth will help to draw people into the project and build a greater connection and ownership with the future space.
You can view the the students comments and the themes they associated with in these theme boards.
Previous Consultation 2021
In March 2021, Council invited feedback via a survey for improvements to the Belgrave South Recreation Reserve (Community Space) including the netball courts and surrounding areas, as well as connecting trails to Belgrave South. There was also a drop in session at the reserve. We have created an overview of the results of the engagement and how it has been use to inform the next stage of consultations.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or want to learn more about this project, our contact details are below:
| Name | Recreation Projects & Parks Team |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1300 368 333 |
| mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au | |
| In writing | PO Box 105, Lilydale Vic 3140 |
