Developing a Streetscape Plan gives Council the opportunity to work with a local community, to establish a clear vision for township improvements, within a designated area.

Generally focused on the heart of an activity centre, a streetscape plan includes designs for

• Accessibility and movement
• Landscaping
• Footpaths and walkways
• Outdoor Furniture
• Signage directing people to town facilities
• Drainage
• Bike facilities

The plan will guide Council's decision-making; helping us maximise opportunities that reflect our community's values.

Once the plan is finalised, the plan will provide input to Council priorities for funding.

While community have provided a lot of valuable input into Council projects in the past, there is currently no agreed plan for Sassafras. Previous feedback will be considered, but Council needs to check this and ensure we understand community priorities.

On-the-ground, short term change in Sassafras may include ‘quick win’ projects that are easily delivered while Council prepares more substantial or complex projects that take longer to deliver.

In response to community feedback, Council has been working towards the development of new public toilet facilities in Sassafras.

We're pleased to share that the new amenities will be located at the top of the Sassafras Hall car park, making them more accessible for everyone in the community. Works will begin on the site during February with expectation that the project will be complete April 2026.

Please note, this project is running separately from the Sassafras Village Streetscape Plan but will be acknowledged and considered as part of our broader planning for the centre.

The Sassafras Streetscape Plan provides an opportunity for the community to inform Council of what is important and what should be the focus for improvement.

It gives community a chance to influence future projects and improvements in Sassafras by setting priorities and a clear vision to guide Council decision making.

Investment in the villages aesthetic and infrastructure will increase community amenity and encourage further visitation, ensuring economic sustainability and success.

• Commercial or private buildings, shopfronts & land
• Design of areas outside the mapped project scope
• Large infrastructure improvements such as buildings
• Changes to active projects already engaged and approved
• Land purchases
• Delivering events
• Unrelated projects, eg public toilets, school playground
• Projects delivered by other parties, eg Mount Dandenong Tourist Road landslide repair works).

Following consideration by Council, all future public realm projects and developments within the Sassafras Village Centre should refer to and align with this Plan.

No capital funding (Council funding) is currently allocated to the projects proposed in this Plan unless otherwise specified.

The delivery of public realm improvements & streetscape projects will depend on future funding sources, including but not limited to capital works programs and available grants.

Mount Dandenong Tourist Road and Mountain Highway are State Roads, so any proposed changes need to be supported by the Department of Transport and Planning (DoTP). Council can make recommendations and is preparing background studies and reports to support advocacy for improvements. As these roads are critical to the Streetscape Plan, it has been decided that a draft will not be shared with community until a supported concept is developed with DoTP.