Master Plan Process

• Why does McIvor Reserve need a Master Plan?

• McIvor Reserve is a municipal recreational space, catering for a variety of sporting and recreational needs for residents across the City.

  A Master Plan articulates the upgrades required to ensure it remains an inviting and flexible space that continues to meet the needs of our fast-growing community.

Indoor Sports Facility

• Why will an indoor sports facility be placed at McIvor Reserve?

• In 2018, the Maribyrnong Indoor Sports Stadium Strategy highlighted a shortfall in indoor courts to meet the growing demand of a number of sporting codes over the next 20 years, with a need for between 12-20 courts by 2036.

  McIvor Reserve presents a viable opportunity to support the immediate need for a six-court facility in the south-west of our municipality that will enable sporting clubs and associations to train and compete locally.

• Are there no other options?

• Robert Barrett Reserve will be explored as a potential site in the north of the City, however this would not be in place of McIvor Reserve, as multiple facilities and locations are required to service the needs of the community more broadly.

• Why didn't you look at a brownfields site?

• Council doesn’t own any brownfields sites that could accommodate an indoor sports facility and there are no suitable sites currently available for us to investigate. The financial implications would also have to be considered.

Reducing Open Space

• What percentage of open space does Maribyrnong have?

• Of the total municipal area of 3,125 hectares, a 2017 report recorded 11.2% as public open space, which equated at that time to 41.8 square metres per person. This was also slightly higher than the average Melbourne metropolitan figure of 9%.

  This is not the lowest percentage of open space in Victoria with the Victorian Planning Authorities Metropolitan Open Space Network Distribution Report - June 2017 identifying 20 local authorities from 32 surveyed with less open space provision than Maribyrnong.

  You can find the details at Open-Space-Network-Provision-and-Distribution-Reduced-Size.pdf (vpa.vic.gov.au) See Table 5 for a breakdown.

  Council’s Open Space Strategy 2014 also identifies 24 individual areas covering 70.98 hectares in Yarraville or 13% of the total area of the precinct. This equates to 44.81 square metres of open space per person based on the 2021 population of 15,840. This is in excess of the average provision of 20-25 square metres outlined in various planning models. Even with expected population growth to 21,688 in 2051 this would be 32.73 square metres per person, before taking into account new open space at Birmingham Street with the Bradmill development, and any other opportunities that may arise.

  Council remains committed to seeking opportunities to increase provision generally.
  

• Does this Master Plan reduce access to open space in this neighbourhood?

• Council is not reducing access to open space at McIvor Reserve – indeed the Bradmill development provides for direct access to McIvor Reserve for new residents as well as existing residents to enjoy open space in the surrounding area.

  The endorsed Master Plan also includes a new McIvor Road (running north to south along the western boundary of the Reserve) – to improve vehicular access – and a shared path network from the signalised intersection in the north western corner of the Reserve to Fogarty Avenue and the Federation Trail in the south-eastern corner – to encourage more cyclists and pedestrians to navigate to and through the Reserve.

  Council also continues to advocate for improved public transport connections to the area.

Engagement Process

• Has Council’s engagement process been genuine and authentic?

• In line with Council’s Community Engagement Policy, engagement was genuine, authentic and in line with best practice with two opportunities for the community to engage and participate in the process over a ten month period from April 2022 to January 2023. Council also directly engaged with recreational users and sporting clubs who call the Reserve home, as part of the master planning process.

  Feedback from phase one helped inform the draft Master Plan, which was shared with the community for feedback in November 2022. Similarly, the second round of engagement has informed changes and revision to the draft document. The updated Master Plan was endorsed on 29 March 2023. Close on 2,000 individuals participated across both phases.

• Who was able to provide feedback as part of this project?

• Council sought the views of directly impacted neighbours, residents and users and invited comment from other interested parties, recognising McIvor Reserve is a regional facility servicing the broader community, including some residents who live outside our borders.

  During both engagement phases respondents were asked to share information on where they live. In both phases the vast majority (well over 85%) identified as residents of Maribyrnong.

  Council also directly engaged with recreational users and sporting clubs who call the Reserve home, as part of the master planning process.

  
  

Funding

• How is Council proposing to fund the implementation of the changes outlined in this Master Plan?

• Council has publicly acknowledged it will be advocating for funding support from external parties, including State and Federal governments, recognising if all the elements in the updated Master Plan were to be implemented, the estimated cost would be in the order of $58 million.

  A schematic and detailed design process will be undertaken before any major works could be undertaken.

Proposed Master Plan

• What changes and revisions have been made since the draft Master Plan was shared for feedback?

• The endorsed Master Plan reflects technical investigations and specialist advice and includes additional actions and revisions addressing specific concerns raised during engagement.

  Impact on trees:

  • The estimated number of trees impacted as per the endorsed Master Plan is 114. This is 49 fewer than the draft Master Plan.
  • For every tree removed, two will be replanted and where appropriate like for like, delivering a minimum net increase of 114 trees in the Reserve, with species to enhance habitat, climate suitability and canopy resilience.

  Impact on the dog park:

  • The impact on the existing dog park has been adjusted from 50% to 17.6% providing a dog park of approximately 7,500 square metres to be reconstructed and upgraded.
  • An additional 6,000 square metres of open space outside the new outfield fence on the baseball field will be designated an off-dog lead area, with a new path, turf, landscaping, irrigation and drainage to make it more useable and accessible, to offset the 1600 square metres reduction in the existing dog park.
  • Users will be engaged through design development around these upgrades.

  Impact on traffic:

  • A new signalised intersection and pedestrian crossing will be established at the intersection of Francis and Roberts streets and the new McIvor Road, which will be the main access point to the Reserve.
  • A shared path network will also be created from the signalised intersection in the north-western corner to Fogarty Avenue and the Federation Trail in the south-eastern corner to encourage alternate modes of transport.

  Impact on parking:

  • Parking on the northern side of Benbow Street, and the proposed extension of the Hawkhurst Street car park have been removed from the proposed Master Plan.
  • The connection between the soccer club and hockey club car park will be formalised, with no changes to parking adjacent to the existing policy.

  Impact on amenities:

  • The playground is staying in its current location so it is not separated from the open sports field area by a car park.
  • More trees, park benches, and shade shelters will be provided.

  Indoor sports facility:

  • The endorsed Master Plan includes an indoor sports facility as part of a balanced outcome that responds to a variety of community needs.
  • The building will be positioned partially on the existing Hawkhurst Street car park to minimise impact on green space, and the footprint has been reduced to remain outside the area leased to the Yarraville Footscray Bowling Club.
  • Including the vehicle drop-off zone, the facility will occupy approximately 0.6 hectares of open space which represents 3.3% of the entire 18.5 hectares that makes up McIvor Reserve.

  Other sports upgrades:

  • The Yarraville Footscray Bowls Club will remain as a stand-alone entity, with no changes to the existing space.
  • The baseball diamond also remains in its current location with upgrades to the playing field, dugouts, and scorer’s box.
  • Floodlights at the hockey centre will be upgraded to senior competition standard, with minor changes to the location of the soccer goal storage.