A community vision and site plan to guide the future development of J.R. Parsons Reserve in Sunshine has been adopted by Brimbank Council, following a process of extensive community consultation.
Brimbank Mayor, Cr Georgina Papafotiou said the J.R. Parsons Reserve Community Vision and Site Plan would act as a 'road map' to guide development of the reserve for sports clubs and the wider community.
'We know J.R. Parsons Reserve is a very important community asset – not just to the sports clubs that call it home, but also to the surrounding community.
'When Council set out to develop this vision and plan, our intention was to get a clear picture of how the reserve is currently being used formally by sports clubs, and informally by the community. We also wanted to find out how the community wanted to use the space into the future.
'We received some passionate and constructive feedback through the consultation process, which has influenced the final plan.
'What we have now is a plan that reflects a shared vision for a modern sports and community facility, focusing on maximising opportunities and use by sports clubs and the wider community,' Cr Papafotiou said.
The plan includes two new modern purpose-built community pavilions to replace the existing buildings on site - the majority of which are not fit-for-purpose.
One pavilion would be used by the Sunshine Park Tennis Club and would include space for community use.
The other would be shared by the Albion Football Club and Grand United Cricket Club seasonally, with capacity for wider community use.
The shared pavilion is consistent with the 2005 masterplan previously adopted for the reserve, industry best practice and Council policy. Council will continue to work closely with the sports clubs at the reserve during the design development of the new pavilion.
A further report outlining transition arrangements for both clubs will be developed in early 2020.
Other projects identified in the plan include:
- Development of a new community zone with a multi-use hard court, a new play space and shelters for community gatherings
- Additional car parking
- Development of a path network
- An upgrade to Oval 1, and conversion of Keith Miller Oval (Oval 2) to warm season grass
- Reconstruction of two tennis courts
Projects in the site plan will need to be considered against other Council priorities and further investigation and feasibility of some of the proposed projects may be needed depending on their scale, likely impact and estimated cost.
A copy of the J.R. Parsons Reserve Community Vision and Site Plan can be viewed at brimbank.vic.gov.au
