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-707136308483Wattle Park UpgradesSuburban Parks Program February 202000Wattle Park UpgradesSuburban Parks Program February 2020left-151180800-725424-1146048CONSULTATION SUMMARY REPORT 00CONSULTATION SUMMARY REPORT 1879605969000-709930-944880000 TOC \o "1-3" \t " Appendix 1 Subtitle,9" 1.Introduction PAGEREF _Toc57273189 \h 3Project overview PAGEREF _Toc57273190 \h 3About this report PAGEREF _Toc57273191 \h 32.Consultation approach PAGEREF _Toc57273192 \h 5How people could participate PAGEREF _Toc57273193 \h 6Promotion PAGEREF _Toc57273194 \h 73.Participation PAGEREF _Toc57273195 \h 8Demographics PAGEREF _Toc57273196 \h 84.Summary of findings PAGEREF _Toc57273197 \h 10Walking and running track PAGEREF _Toc57273198 \h 12Other feedback PAGEREF _Toc57273199 \h 155.Next Steps PAGEREF _Toc57273200 \h 15Appendix 1 - Submissions and key stakeholder meetings PAGEREF _Toc57273201 \h 16Traditional Owner Acknowledgement Victoria’s network of parks and reserves, including Wattle Park, form the core of Aboriginal cultural landscapes, which have been modified over many thousands of years of occupation. They are reflections of how Aboriginal people engaged with their world and experienced their surroundings and are the product of thousands of generations of economic activity, material culture and settlement patterns. Parks Victoria acknowledges the Traditional Owners of these cultural landscapes, recognising their continuing connection to Victoria’s parks and reserves and ongoing role in caring for Country.Introduction The Victorian Government is investing $4.3 million into a new all-abilities playscape and upgraded walking and running track at Wattle Park in Burwood. Public consultation held between August and October 2020 sought ideas and feedback about the upgrades from community members.Project overview $4.3 million has been allocated to construct a playscape and a walking/running track at Wattle Park. The project is part of the Victorian Government’s 2018 Suburban Parks Program election commitment.To assist with the planning and design of the Wattle Park upgrades, Parks Victoria is consulting with the community and interested stakeholders. The scope of the project is to design and deliver a walking/running track and universally designed playscape which reflects the natural and heritage values of the park. Wattle Park is a popular park with significant natural and cultural heritage values. A large proportion of the park is included on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR), including the land, buildings and structures, footpaths and landscaping, and trees and gardens within that extent. Under the Heritage Act (2017), all proposed works require authorisation from Heritage Victoria prior to construction. The park also contains significant areas of indigenous remnant bush land with at least twenty species of butterfly, sixty species of beetle, three species of frogs, bats, skinks, ringtail and brushtail possums. The park's bird life includes kookaburras, rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, galahs, and gang-gang cockatoos. Protecting and celebrating these values is a key consideration for this project. Community consultation for the Wattle Park Upgrades project will include two phases:Phase 1: Collecting ideas and inputPhase 2: Feedback on the draft designsThe first phase of community consultation was held between 19 August and 11 October 2020. About this reportThe purpose of this report is to summarise the findings from the first phase of consultation. The report was prepared by Parks Victoria. All feedback and ideas presented in this report were collected at consultation activities or via the Engage Victoria webpage. All input has been considered equally. The findings in this report reflect the views of the community. Findings have not been edited for accuracy and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of Parks Victoria. Reading the reportAs with all consultation processes and reporting analysis there are considerations that should be acknowledged when reading the report:To report on qualitative survey responses, each comment was given a code (or several codes) based on the themes the participant discussed. In the summary of findings section of this report, findings are grouped according to these themes. They are 33020004187825Figure 1: Tram in place at Wattle Park to recognise the historical connection to the Tramways Board.Figure 1: Tram in place at Wattle Park to recognise the historical connection to the Tramways Board.3302580347800ordered according to the frequency with which they were raised. The graphs and figures in this report are generated from the quantitative (choices provided) data not open text. At times they equal more than 100 per cent. This is because participants were able to select more than one choice. The total number of respondents for each figure or graph is included in the caption using the shorthand ‘n=’. Where needed, quotations have been amended for spelling and grammar but are otherwise unchanged.Many participants made comments about the operational, recreational access, and ongoing maintenance at Wattle Park. Those comments are out of scope for the project but have been noted, and passed on to the relevant local staff.Consultation approach A consultation strategy was developed by Parks Victoria that outlines the purpose and ways that people can input into the Wattle Park Upgrades. The primary purpose of this strategy was to generate interest about the project and collect ideas from community. Objectives The objectives of the Wattle Park Upgrades community consultation are to:Proactively communicate about the Wattle Park Upgrades as part of the Suburban Parks Program investment.Generate excitement about the new playscape and walking/running track. Provide a variety of opportunities for people to contribute ideas and feedback into the plans for the playscape and walking/running track.445135319405Figure 2: Wattle Park Upgrades project timelines 00Figure 2: Wattle Park Upgrades project timelines Collect meaningful input that will help designers and the Parks Victoria team create a playscape and walking/running track that achieves maximum value to the community.Build and strengthen community relationships and partnerships including with local kindergartens, schools, neighbours and interested community groups, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Heritage and Boon Wurrung Foundation, Bunurong Land Council.How people could participateParticipants could provide their ideas and input by: Completing a survey on the Engage Victoria platform Posting a ‘vision’ on the Engage Victoria platform Attending an online Community Information SessionSending an email through to engage@parks..au or calling 13 19 63In addition to the activities listed above for everyone, key stakeholders and interested groups were offered a one-on-one meeting about the project. center41397100Recognising the importance of hearing from young people on the playscape, a project video and activity sheet was prepared and sent to early childhood schools and kindergartens. Adapting to COVIDThe consultation activities were planned to reach the diversity of the community. While initially activities were planned to be conducted in-person, they were adapted to an online format to help slow the spread of coronavirus. Participants without access to the internet were able to participate by phoning the Parks Victoria Information Line (13 19 63). Online sessions were facilitated by Parks Victoria staff using the platform Microsoft Teams. Participants were supported throughout each online session through; a ‘how-to’ PDF guide for using Microsoft Teams, ‘tech-check’ session before each session, a phone number to call if technical difficulties arose during the session instruction/run-through at the beginning of each session access to recordings of the sessions afterwards. The community consultation activity for phase 2 will be reviewed to ensure that any people who may have experienced challenges in this stage of consultation can have a say in the project.5082213091456Figure 3: Completed activity sheet from Wattle Hill Kindergarten00Figure 3: Completed activity sheet from Wattle Hill KindergartenPromotion 32683454050030Figure 4: The postcard distributed to 5,000 nearby householdsFigure 4: The postcard distributed to 5,000 nearby households398471417653000The engagement was promoted through: A postcard distributed to nearby homesEmail distribution to known stakeholders, and Engage Victoria subscribersSocial media by Parks Victoria, and Social media by the local Member of Parliament (Will Fowles). The following table outlines the reach for each of the promotional activities. Table 1: Promotion activity and reachPromotion activityReachPostcard5000 nearby householdsEmail~3,000 Parks Victoria and Engage Victoria listsEngage Victoria page visits3,982 visitsParks Victoria Facebook (x2)40,000 views1,351 engagements*Parks Victoria Instagram2,851 viewsParks Victoria LinkedIn2,569 viewsWill Fowles Facebook (x2)-Reach unknown-*likes, shares or comments on a social media post-1213003705122*note: not all participants who registered to attend were able to attend020000*note: not all participants who registered to attend were able to attendNote - in park signage could not be put out to promote the consultation due to stage four health restrictions at the time. .ParticipationThere was a high participation from local who live near and love Wattle Park. Altogether, 702 people contributed through Engage Victoria feedback tools, 94 registered for community information sessions and there were five meetings held with key stakeholders.The following table outlines how people participated in the consultation. Table 2: Participation by activityActivityParticipationEngage Victoria survey and vision 561 – survey506 – visionEmail feedback41 email responses receivedSubmissions(attachments to emails or letters)5 submissions– from individuals and organisationsCommunity informationsessions94 registeredStakeholder meetings4 meetingsEarly childhood feedback activity1 kindergarten – approximately 26 childrenright3148330Figure 5: Vision question on the Engage Victoria page00Figure 5: Vision question on the Engage Victoria page122885307282000Demographics People who responded to the survey were asked to give demographic information such as their age, gender, relationship to Wattle Park and residential postcode. This section of the report uses survey data only to comment on the demographics of participants. Those who wrote a ‘vision’ card, or attended a workshop were not asked for this information. As shown in Figure 6, participants were largely local to Wattle Park (91%) and use the park to walk or run. Activities that represented less than 10% of participants are not shown in this graph. Figure 6: Participant relationship to Wattle Park (n=1,654)The largest age group for participants was 35- 49 years (43%). As illustrated in Figure 7, compared with the ages of the broader City of Whitehorse population survey participants were more concentrated in the age groups 25 – 49 than the general population. Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC7: Wattle Park survey participant age compared with City of Whitehorse population (ABS, 2012) (n=557)152209517780left6490015125706731000Survey participants were more likely to be women (62%) than men (37%). One per cent of participants described themselves as non- binary, trans*, intersex or genders self-specified by participants.Figure 8: Participant gender (n=557)Figure 9 illustrates that most participants lived in the suburbs surrounding the park, however there was interest from other areas in the south east of Melbourne. right10751-11430945515Figure 9: Map of participant postcodes, the darker the colour the more participants00Figure 9: Map of participant postcodes, the darker the colour the more participantsSummary of findingsThrough the survey and visioner activity participants shared the desire for a running track with a well-maintained granitic sand surface, and a playscape that encourages nature play and includes supporting facilitiesPlayscape 6985695960What is a playscape?A playscape is a landscape or area that invites play and integrates well with nature. Playscapes are different from playgrounds because they usually included fewer structures and encourage creative and imaginative play in the natural environment. Playscapes have a wide range of developmental benefits for children and are create lower injury rates from heights-based falls. Playscapes are designed to bring children into nature but can include ‘traditional’ playground elements.00What is a playscape?A playscape is a landscape or area that invites play and integrates well with nature. Playscapes are different from playgrounds because they usually included fewer structures and encourage creative and imaginative play in the natural environment. Playscapes have a wide range of developmental benefits for children and are create lower injury rates from heights-based falls. Playscapes are designed to bring children into nature but can include ‘traditional’ playground elements.Participants shared what they would like to see and do in the new playscape at Wattle Park via survey, vision card, email and submissions.Priorities for the playscape upgradeSurvey participants ranked the elements of a playscape they see as important (from 1, the highest, to 4, the lowest). Their ranking was:Seating and shelters near the playscape (average 1.59)Upgraded BBQ facilities (2.60)Adults accommodated in playscape (2.60)Access to the playground from the carpark (3.1)What would people like to see and do in the playscape?Participants identified what they would like to see and do in the playscape through both the visioner activity and the survey. Approximately 60 visioner cards discussed the playscape, 97 survey participants provided open text suggestions about the playscape.The most commonly suggested ideas for the playscape are described in the following pages. Facilities in or near the playscape such as bins, seating, shade cloths and specific play equipment such as climbing walls, swings, and basketball/netball rings. Some participants suggested circuit activities (such as chin-up bars etc.).Nature play was raised as an important feature for the playscape. Participants mentioned specific materials such as wood, sand, rocks and water as important. Some respondents also mentioned that a natural looking playscape would be in-keeping with the current look and feel of Wattle Park.Some participants wanted to see the playscape cater for a range of ages. These suggestions included ideas about having varied opportunities within the playscape to support play that is challenging and fun for children of all ages. Some participants suggested separating or marking sections in the playscape according to age to ensure play is safe and fair for all. In addition to the open text responses about all-ages play, survey participants were asked to nominate which age-groups the playscape should cater for. As shown in Figure 10 most participants thought that 12 and under are the target audience with 95 per cent of people selecting 6-12 years. Note: people could choose more than one age group. Figure 10: Responses to the question about what age rage the playscape should cater to (n=907)Tram heritage was raised as important to consider in the playscape. There were varying views about whether the trams should be refurbished, retained, or reimagined. right3516926Figure 11: Responses to what would you like to see and do in the playscape (n=1,032)0Figure 11: Responses to what would you like to see and do in the playscape (n=1,032)center141830900As well as open-text written responses, survey participants were asked to select what they would like to see and do in a playscape by choosing from a range of images. In alignment with the written responses, the results shown in Figure 11 show high levels of support for nature play, natural play settings and creating physical challenges.Quotes from the survey, email and vision cards:“I think the key is to ensure the playscape keeps in touch with the native environment.”“We would be really keen to see the playscape work in with the natural environment. We love the bush aspect and often encourage the bush play with our two very outdoorsy children.” “Please make the playspace fun and catered for all kids to take safe risks.”“With the playscape, you have to keep the trams. It’s something that defines the park, and has a historical connection with the park.” “The trams are icons, but a bit soulless these days because of changes made to combat damage. Maybe a tram theme in the playscape instead?”Participants were also asked which aspects of Wattle Park’s natural and heritage values they would like to see reflected in the playscape. In keeping with the support for nature-based play through out responses, the most popular value was local bird, animal and aquatic life (82%) followed by significant trees (75%). The full results are shown in Figure 12. Figure 12: Responses to which aspects of Wattle Parks natural and cultural heritage would you like to see in the landscape (n= 918)Early childhood feedbackAn activity was provided to kindergartens and schools to get feedback from early childhood aged people. They watched a video and did and activity sheet where they indicated their favourite ways to play. The types of play that were chosen the most were:Sliding (15)Going up and down levels (12)Exploring (11)Playing with sand (11)Making things (10)Their least chosen way to play was balancing (5). They also gave strong feedback that they loved the trams and wanted them to stay. Walking and running trackThere was a higher number of responses, across the survey and the visioner, that related to the walking and running track, more than for the playscape.Priorities for the walking running track upgradesSurvey participants ranked the elements of a playscape they see as important (from 1, the highest, to 4, the lowest). Their ranking was:Track surface (compacted granitic sand) (2.22)Safety of the track (2.41)Connectivity/circuit-style experience (2.46)Longer track length (2.78)Track surfaceParticipants were asked to select their preferred surface-type for the walking and running track. As shown in Figure 13, granitic sand was the most popular surface (65%) and concrete was the least preferred (5%).Figure 13: Responses to what is your preferred running and walking track surface (n=581)Ideas for improving the walking and running trackParticipants described their ideas for improving the walking and running track through survey responses, vision cards, emails and submissions. The most frequently raised themes are outlined in the following pages. Improving the track surface was commonly raised ideas, particularly having a better maintained, safer track surface that is suited to all weather and respects the natural character of the park. Among runners, there was a preference for softer surfaces to prevent injuries. There was some discussion around track surface accommodating multiple user-groups including those with prams as well as walkers and runners.There were many comments about improving track maintenance for the current track, and planning for the maintenance needs of a future track. Participants noted that drainage and wetness of the track in winter is currently an issue, and trip hazards need to be carefully managed.Maintaining natural values was another key theme in the feedback. Participants believe the track should respect the natural landscape of Wattle Park. These comments largely related to the track surface, with suggestions for natural surface types and avoiding cement. Some participants were concerned about possible environmental impacts from this project, such as vegetation removal, and suggested upgrading existing trails to minimise this risk. It was also suggested that natural values of the park should be showcased through both the track and playscape.3114040635635Figure 14: Golden Wattle bloom in Wattle ParkFigure 14: Golden Wattle bloom in Wattle ParkSafety was a key concern for some participants regarding the track. They were concerned with the surface quality and trip hazards, sharing the track between user groups, road crossings, and suitable lighting of the trail in winter, or dawn/dusk. When discussing lighting, some participants noted the need to balance this with environmental impacts and suggested solar lighting that is timed.Quotes from the survey, email and vision cards:“Low maintenance material but as close to 'natural' in appearance as possible.”“As a jogger a soft surface is very important, definitely no concrete running paths. Perhaps more lighting but not too much to retain the naturalness of the park.”“It's currently unsafe for serious running due to tree roots and an uneasy surface. Levelling the track would be great.”“Retain as much of the bushland as possible by using existing pathways and tracks.”“As a woman running through the park early in the mornings I would feel more safe with lights.”left101307Track locationParticipants were asked to provide feedback on whether there were areas of the park the track should or should not go. As shown in Figure 15 there were varying views about areas of the park the track should avoid or go through. Figure 15: Responses to is there any areas of the park the track should or should not go (n=386)The participants who had views on track location (39%) or were unsure (36%) were asked to provide further information. There feedback is outlined below. Where the track should goAltogether, 134 participants gave information about where the track should go. The most commonly suggested areas for the track to go were: The whole perimeter of the park – some participants suggested a perimeter track that could include parts of the oval and golf course edges. Around the oval – was suggested as a good location because it is level, participants noted that the track would need widening, and drainage works at this location.Using existing trails - those who discussed using existing trails also mentioned widening them and considering environmental values.“Near the perimeter and then cross through and around the oval. Given that it is level there it would make a good start/finish point.”Where the track should not goAltogether, 181 participants gave ideas about areas in Wattle Park that the track should avoid. There was a clear preference in feedback that the track should avoid: Natural bushland and areas of environmental value – participants were concerned that environmental values be protected for wildlife (birdlife) habitat etc.The playground area - few responses gave reasons to avoid the play area, but those who specified said that children running onto the track could be a risk.Roads and carparks – this included road crossings were considered placed to avoid for safety reasons.Terrain - such as steep slopes, or muddy areas was also suggested as a consideration for the track to avoid.“It should not go through the bush. This should be maintained as a natural setting.” “Possibly keep separate from play space, reducing the risk of small children running onto bike paths.”Other feedbackWhile outside of the scope of this project, mountain biking and current use of Wattle Park for BMX and jumps was a common topic raised throughout this consultation. It was particularly prominent in responses given via the visioner activity on Engage Victoria (approximately 104 vision cards mentioned mountain biking). Many of these comments were not suggesting mountain biking in relation to either the walking and running track, or playscape, but providing their feedback on the activity in the park. Views were mixed between:wanting to see a legitimate space for young people to create and enjoy BMX jumpsconcerns about managing the conflict between mountain biking and the environmental values/other park users.There was also feedback about improving general park maintenance at Wattle Park. In particular people wanted to see the fountain and pond restored, and the Chalet provide food and drink options. There were also suggestions for more signs and information about the flora and fauna, the history of the park in particular Aboriginal history.This feedback will be reviewed by the Parks Victoria staff who manage the park. Next StepsAll feedback summarised in this report will be read and considered by both Parks Victoria and the design contractors. This will inform the draft plans for both the playscape and walking and running track. The community will have another chance to provide their feedback in 2021, when the draft plans are released. There will be another phase of engagement including updating the Engage Victoria page and community event (in a face-to-face setting, if possible). Parks Victoria thanks all those who have contributed their ideas and feedback in the first phase of engagement and we look forward to showing you draft plans in 2021. Appendix 1 - Submissions and key stakeholder meetingsAltogether 48 email submissions were provided, and meetings were held with four key stakeholder groups. Names of organisations who submitted or had meetings are listed below. The names of individuals are not listed due to privacy reasons. Deakin University - Institute for Physical Activity and NutritionFriends of Wattle Park Melbourne Tram MuseumNational TrustPark Run – Gardiners CreekPlay AustraliaWattle Hill public housing residentsWattle Park Cricket ClubWhitehorse City CouncilAuthorised and published by Parks VictoriaLevel 10, 535 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000Copyright ? Parks Victoria [2020]Photography acknowledgementCover imageWattle Park rightbottom00 ................
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