Yarra Park Master Plan

The new Yarra Park Master Plan will provide a framework for the sustainable future use, management, and renewal of Yarra Park to ensure its long term viability, whilst continuing to respond to the current needs of the Park and its function as a multi-purpose recreational resource within the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct.

The Yarra Park Master Plan will aim to improve the park’s social, environmental outcomes/contributions. This masterplan will be in place for the next 10 years and as part of the works, a staging plan will be provided allowing stakeholders and community an opportunity to have input along the way.

The Yarra Park Master Plan will look to build on the following key principles:

• Enhancing security measures in public space, specifically to mitigate pedestrian and vehicle conflict
• Integrating pedestrian and cycling movements and interfaces safely in a park setting
• Improving climate change resilience and reduce urban heat island effect
• Protecting existing heritage values and enhancing the identity of the park
• Future proofing the contemporary event needs for more movement, lighting and service infrastructure and local facilities

 

If you have any additional questions regarding the Yarra Park Master Plan, please email yarrapark@mcc.org.au.

Background

Yarra Park is one of Melbourne’s premier public parklands, located within the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct and adjacent to the Melbourne CBD. It also provides the setting for the major sporting facilities of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Richmond Cricket Ground/Punt Road Oval. Together, the parkland and surrounding facilities provide important social (cultural and recreational), economic (tourism and employment) and environmental (open space) benefits to Victorians.

Yarra Park also has a significant indigenous cultural heritage and is also noted for both its landscape and sporting heritage. In recognition of its cultural heritage significance, Yarra Park was included on the Victorian Heritage Register in April 2010.

Yarra Park is generally bordered by Brunton Avenue to the south, Punt Road to the east, Vale Street in the north-east, the railway cutting south of Wellington Parade to the north, and Jolimont Street and Jolimont Terrace, East Melbourne, to the west.

In 2010 the management of Yarra Park transferred to the MCG Trust, who in turn delegated operational management to the MCC. The MCC is responsible for the day to day maintenance and management of Yarra Park. As part of its responsibilities and to guide future landscaping improvements in Yarra Park, a master plan for Yarra Park was prepared in 2010 and is now due for renewal.

PARKLAND + AMENITY

Objective: Enhance user experience

1. Improve community health and wellbeing through enhanced active recreation provision
2. Provide a diverse range of active recreation opportunities
3. Focus active recreation opportunities at the novice-to-intermediate skill proficiency level
4. Provide for intergenerational use and support a wide cross-section of the community to be physically active, with a focus on people with low physical activity levels
5. Provide opportunities for social interaction, connection, fun and challenge

Upgrading local facilities

Potential scope:

• Upgrade the existing playground and active recreation equipment to deliver a better experience for users - with accessibility
• Enhance lighting and shade across the precinct and provide a covered picnic area
• Provide hard stable surfaces and a level grade where practical to improve access – covert existing gravel to hard stand and introduce acrylic surface to the basketball / netball court
• Expand the offering and introduce additional intergenerational facilities such as outdoor fitness equipment or parkour
• Install a bike maintenance hub to compliment the active transport loop and a dedicated bike parking area
• Consolidated suite of furniture (MCC standard)
• More drink taps
• More bins
• Provide dog poo bags
• A special area for photos with view of the MCG in background. “Stand here” “Put phone on timer and place here”
• More picnic tables and shelter outside Gate 3 to accommodate school excursions

Introducing game-day recreation

Potential scope:

• Recreation for the paddocks in the park prior to the event
• On event days most families are bringing equipment, so providing wickets, AFL posts, Soccer nets

ACCESS + SAFETY

Objective: Improve pedestrian and cycle movement and access

1. Minimise pedestrian slips, trips and falls to transport hubs
2. Allow universal access to transport hubs
3. Manage crowds and usage through pathway hierarchy
4. Enhance personal safety at night through the precinct
5. Improve pedestrian and bicycle interface around park

Upgrading access facilities

Potential scope:

• Enhance lighting across the precinct through sensor lighting
• Signage and wayfinding through the precinct and incorporate accessibility
• Pick-up/drop-off (private, taxi, rideshare, accessible)
• Providing accessible hubs through the park to better facilitate movement to and from the site
• Providing an G-train accessible ring that reduces conflict with pedestrians and enhances the reliability of service
• Scooter hire hub & parking
• Undertaking an Integrated Transport Strategy to ensure the future proofing of the larger precinct

Upgrading safety measures

Potential scope:

• Remove public parking from park to eliminate pedestrian/vehicle conflict
• Resurfacing paths to mitigate trips and falls
• Bike calming measures throughout the park and dedicated bike lanes through pathways

Upgrading security assets

Potential scope:

• Increase furniture, bollards and barriers to eliminate potential pedestrian injury by cars
• Enhancing gateway entry’s and formalising them with integrated furniture and signage

HERITAGE + PLACE

Objective: Acknowledgement of history and cultural heritage

1. Early engagement and workshops with the Wurrundjeri Woi Wurrung people
2. Strengthening the heritage landscape values

Indigenous

Potential scope:

• Introducing an indigenous planting palette
• Renaming of gates/pathways
• Signage to incorporate indigenous language
• Story telling within the park, with QR codes to scan and learn more about the history
• Further protection and simple signage to scar trees
• Renaming of gates, pathways or the park itself

Other Heritage

Potential scope:

• Reflection/continuity of heritage pavement
• Protection bollards and barriers integrated with landscape/pavements
• Continuity and strengthening of tree avenues

TREES + LANDSCAPE

Objective: Improving habitat and enhancing park identity

Improving resilience of trees

Potential scope:

• Strategic replacement of tree avenues to form healthy and strong visual avenues
• Tree avenue maintenance schedule to monitor the health, age and structure of the trees
• Gateway plantings to strengthen ecological values