Kingston Council has joined with the community to provide feedback on plans to upgrade Sir William Fry Reserve in Highett, which is being impacted by the Suburban Rail Loop.
Southern areas of the reserve – including the skate park – will be lost to the new SRL station and development sites.
The SRL released its plans for the park, which include a new skate park and other park improvements, for community consultation in August.
Council has lodged a submission on the park plans and called for a range of additional improvements to be added.
Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley said that a greater level of investment was required to ensure the reserve was able to serve the thousands of new residents and visitors that SRL will add to the area.
Council's submission calls for the project to include:
- An upgrade to the playground
- Greater clarity that the size of the skate park will meet a regional level
- Relocation and upgrading of the park's public toilets
- Improvements to the reserve's lake and drainage.
Council also raised concerns about the replacement land to be provided as an offset to areas of the park used for the station and future development.
"The proposal only provides replacement open space for the area impacted by the station building – but not the long-term impacts of the construction area and the parts of the park earmarked for future development by the SRL project," Cr Oxley said.
"The community deserves to have replacement space locked in now, rather than simply hoping it is addressed in the future."
"This is one of the most important green spaces in Highett. Our growing community cannot afford to lose open space on this scale without a like-for-like replacement. Council has long called for offset open space to be provided to the community that addresses the full impact of the project, not dealing with it in a piecemeal approach."
Cr Oxley said Council would continue to work proactively with the SRLA to deliver positive community outcomes.
