By Taylah Eastwell
Upwey residents feel they have been left in the dark about an elaborate plan to turn half the local school oval into car parking.
Residents neighbouring the school grounds received a notice three weeks ago informing them VicTrack would be building a carpark halfway across the oval space as an “overflow” parking area while a new 640-space multi-deck is constructed at nearby Belgrave station.
Upwey resident Celina Korcak is concerned about losing what she describes as a “community space“ and says there has been a concerning lack of community consultation.
“There hasn’t been any consultation, it’s just happening and no one knows about it,” she said.
“At the moment people use it to walk their dogs and play, so it has been a shared space for a very long time,” Ms Korcak said.
“On a Sunday afternoon, it’s where people meet and let their dogs off and exercise, and this is going to change that whole aspect.
Ms Korcak said the notice from Yarra Ranges Council only gave residents until 21 July to give feedback, however council is still taking submissions.
According to planning documents, the temporary carpark is estimated to cost $2,060,000 and will occupy the eastern half of the Upwey High School oval near Upwey Recreation Reserve oval.
A report by the engineering and construction consultant, GHD, states that the objective of the project is to “construct infrastructure to be used temporarily by commuters during construction of the replacement carpark at Belgrave, while constructing new infrastructure for the Upwey Schools, including footpaths, fencing, lighting, drainage and an upgraded oval”.
The site is said to be managed by the Department of Education.
“In conjunction with the temporary works, the project is also to allow for the hardstand areas to remain as a permanent feature for later use by the Upwey Schools and the existing ovals are to be replaced with one larger, upgraded oval,” the GHD document states.
Ms Korcak said at the moment, the view of the oval from her home is as an inviting green space.
“When we view out the window it’s just a green space at the moment, and a lot of other residents would see that as well. This wasn’t a concept when we brought the property, I know it will be good for the sporting club but I’m not sure what it means for the future,” Ms Korcak said.
A VicTrack spokesperson said the carpark is expected to be at the site for around a year.
“The proposed parking will have 170 spaces and will be in place for approximately a year, to provide station users with a single alternative location to park while the new Belgrave Station car park is built,” the spokesperson said.
“This will help relieve pressure on the limited parking available in Belgrave for station users, local traders and residents while this important project is being delivered.
Ms Korcak said she is concerned about the future of the site.
“I’m concerned for safety, if its a 24-hour carpark that is lit up anyone could be coming and going. There might be people doing burnouts in the middle of the night, they used to do that a lot in the smaller carpark there at the footy club,” she said.
“They are basically going to extend it an extra 145 spots in a residential area. It does seem an odd place,” she said.
The VicTrack spokesperson said the “upgrades will not only improve accessibility to the station but will increase the safety of passengers and the local community with new fenced pathways, CCTV cameras and lighting”.
Ms Korcak wonders whether the authorities have collected any statistics on how many people would be interested in parking at Upwey.
“People will go down to Upper Ferntree Gully. It makes more sense to improve the car park down at Upper Ferntree Gully because it is visible from Burwood Highway and the train often stops and starts there before coming up the hill. I think a lot of people who go to Belgrave will just find parking on the street rather than come down to Upwey,” she said.
“And with so many people working from home, I don’t think the demand for parking will be all that high,” Ms Korcak said.
VicTrack said investigations were carried out to determine suitable parking sites in Belgrave, however due to infrastructure and lack of open land, there was not sufficient space to accommodate the number of required parking spaces. Upwey High was considered an appropriate alternative given it is within walking distance of both Upwey and Belgrave stations.
Upwey High students will also benefit from a new school oval planned as part of the project, VicTrack confirmed.
VicTrack said it is working with the high school and primary school to ensure the impact of the proposed parking on the schools and community is kept to a minimum.
For more information visit: https://eplanning.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Pages/XC.Track/SearchProperty.aspx?id=216958
