Council has developed a new draft Open Space Strategy to provide strategic direction for the planning, management and delivery of public open space for the next 10 years.

The strategy considers the significant landscapes that surround our towns and villages, and the diverse social, economic and environmental values of our 900 hectares of public parks, waterways, recreation reserves and bushland. It seeks to balance the needs of our growing communities and changing recreation trends with the need to protect the natural beauty of the shire.

We are now inviting you to provide feedback on the draft strategy.

This is the final stage — we’re checking that the strategy still reflects what’s important to you, showing how your input has influenced it, and working with you to decide the next steps.

It’s your chance to help confirm the direction and priorities for our open spaces over the next 10 years.

Background

  • Shaping the strategy

    We started this work in late 2021, using input from our staff, external experts, and community feedback — including a Community Assembly of about 30 local representatives in 2022.

    Although the draft strategy has taken longer than expected, we’ve taken the time needed to make sure it’s a strong, well-informed plan.

  • What we heard

    Through community workshops, pop-up events, and discussions with the Community Assembly, we heard what’s most important to you — protecting and improving biodiversity, maintaining spaces to a higher standard, and making sure our parks and reserves are accessible, connected, and reflect the unique character of each town.

  • Strategy aims

    This strategy explores how our parks and open spaces can meet the needs of a growing population, protect the environment, and support community health and wellbeing.

    It outlines what open spaces we have now and what we’ll need in the future, sets priorities for the next 10 years, and guides how we plan, design, and invest in these spaces.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Map tool

Creek Corridors

  • Actions: Continue to enhance the Stephens, Bunjil, and Howey creek corridors to provide open space access to southern parts of Gisborne. This should include continued public acquisition of segments of the creeks to connect missing links where possible through residential development, and new shared path connections and social recreation facilities in adjacent open spaces.
  • Rationale: Enhancement opportunities are identified in the Gisborne Development Contributions Plan, the development plans for the Willowbank and Fersfield Road areas, and the Environmental Management Plan for Bunjil and Howey Creek. Strategic acquisition of areas of the creek currently in private ownership would provide open space access and active transport benefits.

Gisborne Town Centre

  • Actions: Develop and implement an urban design framework (UDF) for the Gisborne town centre, including identification of civic open space and social gathering opportunities in the central commercial precinct.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of civic space in the Gisborne town centre.

Gisborne Fields Landscape Plan

  • Actions: Update the Gisborne Fields Landscape Plan (master plan) to address the addition of open space land to the west of the existing site, in accordance with the standards for a Community-level social recreation open space.
  • Rationale: Through subdivision of adjoining land, the park size will increase to include additional land to the west, which will need to be integrated into park design and planning.

Sunnyacres Estate

  • Actions: Investigate opportunities to improve access to social recreation open space in the Sunnyacres Estate (land bounded by Calder Freeway, Kilmore Road, The Boulevard, and Black Avenue) by upgrading one of the existing open spaces to meet the standards of a Local open space.
  • Rationale: The estate currently includes a number of unembellished open spaces but none provide adequate social recreation access for residents of the estate.

New Gisborne growth precinct

  • Actions: Develop open spaces in the New Gisborne growth precinct in accordance with the Gisborne Futures Structure Plan. These spaces will include active, social and civic spaces, as well as protection of the creek environs as drainage, recreation and biodiversity corridors.
  • Rationale: The Gisborne Futures Structure Plan sets out areas for the development of residential, commercial/employment and community uses. These new urban areas should be supported by well-planned open spaces to serve the needs of both new and existing communities.

Zeal Reserve

  • Actions: Provide social recreation amenities at the Zeal Street Reserve consistent with standards for a Local open space.
  • Rationale: The Reserve has excellent access and visibility from surrounding streets but currently has no infrastructure or amenities to support day-to-day visitation. Upgrade of this park would fill an access gap in this part of New Gisborne for social recreation.

Bluestone Rise Park

  • Actions: Investigate providing a Community-level open space at Bluestone Rise Park.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of social recreation open space in this area of east Kyneton, which can be addressed by a Community-level open space.

Gas Works Park

  • Actions: Undertake a performance assessment of Gasworks Park to investigate upgrading the park to a Local-level social recreation open space.
  • Rationale: There is an opportunity to provide improved access to passive recreation for the surrounding residential catchment in this location.

Kyneton Mechanics Reserve

  • Actions: Upgrade the urban design and infrastructure at the Kyneton Mechanics Reserve, in accordance with the Kyneton Urban Design Framework 2025.
  • Rationale: The site presents an opportunity to deliver improved civic open space outcomes, addressing an identified shortfall, and integrate with the Old Kyneton Primary School redevelopment.

Hurry Park / Kyneton Velodrome

  • Actions: Investigate alternate uses for Hurry Reserve as it is an underutilised asset.
  • Rationale: Identify opportunities to better utilise the site to meet the evolving community needs.

Post Office Creek linkages

  • Actions: Investigate opportunities for improving social recreation and trail linkages along Post Office Creek to connect Mollison Street, Barkly Reserve, and the Campaspe River Trail.
  • Rationale: There is an opportunity to strengthen connections between key open spaces and expand social recreation opportunities through improved off-road trails.

Future Community level open space

  • Actions: Seek provision of a Community–level open space as part of the development of new urban areas south of the Campaspe River.
  • Rationale: Future development plans should be coordinated to include the provision of a well-connected, Community-level social and active recreation space to meet the future open space needs of this area.

Romsey Growth Areas

  • Actions: Develop open spaces in Romsey growth areas in accordance with the Romsey Structure Plan. These spaces will include active, social and civic spaces, as well as protection of the waterway environs to provide drainage, recreation and biodiversity corridors.
  • Rationale: The Romsey Structure Plan sets out areas for the development of residential, commercial/employment and community uses. These new urban areas should be supported by well-planned open spaces to serve the needs of both new and existing communities.

Regan and Metcalfe Drive Reserve

  • Actions: Investigate whether either Regan Drive Reserve or Metcalfe Drive Reserve may be embellished to serve a Local-level social recreation function.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of social recreation open space in this area on the west side of Main Street.

Five Mile Creek

  • Actions: Through future subdivision processes, investigate acquiring additional reserve land:
    • Along Five Mile Creek east of Main Street to create a linkage to Tickawarra Road and to potential urban growth east of Tickawarra Road.
    • Through properties on Pohlman Street to create a linkage between Lions Park and Five Mile Creek Reserve.
  • Rationale: Opportunity for high value linkages into the town centre.

Central civic space

  • Actions: Investigate acquiring a civic open space in the town centre, through future urban development processes.
  • Rationale: There is an identified need for a civic open space.

Coleraine Drive Reserve

  • Actions: Seek an expansion of the Coleraine Drive Reserve social recreation open space through a contribution of additional land as part of new residential development to the south.
  • Rationale: Opportunity to expand the reserve as part of future residential development. This could provide additional road frontage to the Reserve.

Access to nature

  • Actions: In the south of Romsey, explore opportunities to increase access to nature in open space planning and design.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of this in south Romsey.

Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve

  • Actions: Undertake a master plan for Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve and ensure future social recreation upgrades align with its function as a Community-level open space.
  • Rationale: Upgrades to the park will be subject to development contributions from the Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan. A master plan is needed (with community input) to formalise how development contributions will be spent.

Walter J Smith Reserve

  • Actions: Undertake a performance assessment of Walter J Smith Reserve as a Local-level social recreation open space, to inform potential upgrades.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of social recreation open space, and opportunity to address this need.

Local-level open space

  • Actions: Investigate opportunities for a further Local-level social recreation open space to be provided north of Main Road.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of social recreation open space in this area.

Civic open space

  • Actions: Investigate opportunities for a civic open space to be provided as part of an existing open space area.
  • Rationale: There is a need for a civic open space.

Open space connections

  • Actions: Seek to acquire land for an open space connection from the former Smiths Nursery along Riddells Creek to Wybejong Park as a linear waterway reserve as development of adjoining land makes this possible.
  • Rationale: Possibility to create a linear waterway connection, building on reserves previously acquired, to connect to Walter J Smith Reserve and to potential urban growth land to the south of the railway.

Dry Creek Reserve linkages

  • Actions: Investigate acquiring an access reserve along Dry Creek Reserve if the opportunity arises through subdivision or other means, through 60 Amess Road, to link the Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan area with the train station.
  • Rationale: Potential for a high value linkage, that may also connect to a future urban development area south of the railway line.

Woodend Racecourse Reserve

  • Actions: Complete a master plan for the Woodend Racecourse Reserve.
  • Rationale: The open space is well connected to other open spaces and a master plan is needed to guide future planning, design, and facility upgrades.

Improve connectivity

  • Actions: Investigate improving the connectivity of open space land uses near the library (the skate park, tennis club, swimming pool, and Children's Park) through paths and wayfinding improvements.
  • Rationale: Provide pedestrian and wayfinding improvements to support its role as Community-level civic space. This will be guided by the Five Mile Creek Master Plan and the Community Centre redevelopment.

Investigate future open space

  • Actions: Investigate opportunities for a further Local- level social recreation open space to be provided south of the railway line, west of High Street.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of social recreation open space in this area of Woodend.

Quahlee Park

  • Actions: Should land on Old Lancefield Road be rezoned for residential purposes, investigate an upgrade of Quahlee Park from a local to a Community-level open space to support this, with potential assistance from developer contributions.
  • Rationale: The park is key to open space access in the north of Woodend and has potential to serve a further residential catchment should land on Old Lancefield Road be rezoned.

Christian Reserve

  • Actions: Undertake a performance assessment of Christian Reserve to inform a decision on its future viability as an open space.
  • Rationale: The park lacks passive surveillance and quality urban design and is located very nearby larger parkland at the Racecourse Reserve and Five Mile Creek.

Quarry Road Reserve and Liley Court/Redwell Drive

  • Actions: Investigate use of either the Quarry Road Reserve, or the Lilley Court/Redwell Drive Reserve for social recreation purposes, alongside the primary functions of these open spaces as drainage and conservation respectively.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of social recreation open space in this area of Woodend.

Woodend Golf Club Community access

  • Actions: In collaboration with the Woodend Golf Club, seek to continue community access, improve environmental management close to Five Mile Creek, and improve access to surrounding areas such as the creek and Gilbert Gordon Reserve.
  • Rationale: The site can add value to the network of open spaces along Five Mile Creek.

Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve

  • Actions: Subject to initiation by the Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve Committee of Management, assist to undertake a review of management arrangements and responsibilities in consultation with the Victorian Government and the Committee of Management of the Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve.
  • Rationale: The Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve Committee of Management’s responsibilities entail a high level of risk.

Civic Open Space

  • Actions: Investigate the suitability of a dedicated civic open space in or near the town centre, including opportunities to upgrade the central median for formal civic use.
  • Rationale: The town centre lacks an accessible open space.

High Street Reserve

  • Actions: Investigate upgrade of the High Street Reserve as a Community-level, social recreation open space.
  • Rationale: There is a lack of social recreation open space. The site has good access, visibility, and proximity to the primary school.

Price Court Reserve

  • Actions: Undertake a performance assessment of Price Court Reserve to inform a decision on its future viability as an open space.
  • Rationale: The park lacks passive surveillance and quality urban design.

Improved connectivity to open space

  • Actions: Investigate opportunities to link residential areas into the open space network more effectively.
  • Rationale: Improve access to open spaces from residential areas.

Centennial Park

  • Actions: Undertake a performance assessment of Centennial Park to inform whether development of the park requires an upgrade.
  • Rationale: An undersupply of social recreation open space.

Tony Clarke Reserve

  • Actions: Develop a master plan for Tony Clarke Reserve to guide future improvement priorities.
  • Rationale: Amenities for children and youth at Community and Destination parks.

39-43 Victoria Street

  • Actions: Investigate development of a new civic or social recreation open space at 39-43 Victoria Street, if a strong linkage to Ash Wednesday Park can be achieved.
  • Rationale: An opportunity to create a new social recreation open space with good connectivity, in an area with a lack of this.

Have your say

You can share your feedback on the draft strategy from Monday 6 October to Sunday 2 November 2025.

There are a number of ways you can have your say: attend a workshop, complete the survey below; or if you have more to say and would like to make a submission, you can do so via the submission form.

Survey

Upload a submission

Attend a workshop or pop-up events

Pop-up events

Members of our Strategic Planning team will be hosting pop-up events from 9am to 1pm at the following locations:

  • Riddells Creek Farmers Market, Saturday 18 October 2025
  • Lancefield Farmers Market, Saturday 25 October 2025

Drop-by anytime, ask questions and share your feedback with the team directly on the day.

Community workshops

Community workshops will be held to give you the chance to have your say. Details will be confirmed and published here soon.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is committed to protecting your privacy.

Through this consultation, you are invited to provide your full name, email address and demographic information - this information is optional to provide, but is being collected for the primary purpose of two-way communication (providing you with updates as the process progresses) and to obtain demographic-based trends on feedback themes. Any personal details will not be directly attributed next to your individual response in any public summary of feedback. If the personal information is not collected, we will not be able to contact you in relation to your feedback.

Where required, the personal information being collected will be provided to Macedon Ranges Shire Council staff or contractors involved in the drafting of the strategy, to allow them to consider and summarise feedback based on key themes, and to address the feedback through direct communications with submitters, through internal briefings or through changes to the draft document.

Your personal information will not be disclosed to any external party without your consent, unless required or authorised by law. If you wish to gain access to, or alter any personal information you have supplied through this consultation, please contact Macedon Ranges Shire Council via phone (03) 5422 0333 or email mrsc@mrsc.vic.gov.au. Information provided will be stored in accordance with Council’s Record Management Policy and destroyed in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973.

You can access our Privacy Policy on Council's website, and it is available for inspection at Council’s customer service centres.