By Parker McKenzie
Local councillors supported a petition to connect Birdsland Reserve to Upwey at Yarra Ranges’ most recent council meeting on Tuesday 14 March.
Launched by local resident Andrew Weiler, the petition proposes the addition of a walking path from Hazelvale Road across council-owned land, drastically reducing the time required to reach Birdsland Reserve.
Mr Weiler told councillors at the meeting he discovered on his walks that there was an unused paddock connecting the road to the reserve.
“One day I got hold of a map that shows that the paddock is a part of Birdsland Reserve, for a while the council leased to as an adjistment paddock,” he said.
“putting the path through would be a sensible way to encourage walkers into Birdsland.”
Mr Weiler said his change.org petition received over 350 signatures and many comments in support of the idea.
Yarra Ranges Director of Infrastructure Hjalmar Philipp said the process for creating the walking path is “pretty straightforward.”
“The team have had a cursory look, there are no real red flags. The question of boggy ground has to be investigated,” he said.
“It’s not currently in the council’s budget, so council officers will go and undertake the investigation, cost it up and bring it back to council to consider in your full program.”
Cr Joanna Skelton said she thought the path was a great idea as soon as Mr Weiler shared the petition with the council.
“It was really great to see how much of the community got behind and signed the petition and to and to see all the comments that came out of it,” she said.
“It is frustrating walking the big loop and all of that other stuff, so it’s it’s great to hear that we will receive this petition and take further action to look at the concept from here.”
Cr Andrew Fullagar, who is also an Upwey resident, said the path makes “a lot of sense.”
“At the moment you zigzag to Burrinja and into Birdsland and this would be ideal to short circuit it encourages walkers and helps connect our communities,” he said.
The motion was passed unanimously.
