By Tanya Steele
The Belgrave South Recreation Reserve has had a much-needed facelift.
Yarra Ranges Council announced via social media on 8 August that the reserve was back better than ever.
“Thanks to your feedback, we’ve added a stunning Indigenous mural, a pump track, a basketball hoop, and gathering spaces,” the post read.
After investigations and community consultations in March 2021, Yarra Ranges council Director of Built Environment and Infrastructure, Hjalmar Philipp said that the council was successful in obtaining a crime prevention grant for works at the Belgrave South Recreation Reserve.
“The netball courts in the reserve were being vandalised and damaged on a weekly basis,” he said.
“After conversations with Victoria Police, we decided to activate the space and involve young people in how it was designed.”
280 people completed the survey which provided council with an overview of how the space was being used. The feedback was then used in submissions to advocate and secure funding for the delivery of the project.
Yarra Ranges received 300,000 dollars from a creating safer places grant as part of the state government’s building safer communities program and had to complete the project within two years.
Mr Phillip said that Yarra Ranges Council teams engaged extensively with Belgrave South Primary School and Mater Christi students, along with the wider community, to create a youth space.
“This space features a mural by a First Nations artist on the back of the pavilion, showcasing the local environment, a pump track, a place to play basketball and a social gathering space,” he said.
Mural artist and Boronia-based Nuenonne artist Amanda Wright is inspired by conversations with her grandmother and her work speaks of her family’s spiritual connection to water, the oceans and rivers and has done many works through out Melbourne.
Consultations were held with Belgrave South Primary School students from grade three through to grade six, with boys and girls attending from the surrounding area and Mater Christi had participation from 28 female school council students ranging from year seven to year 12.
Students were shown images of the spaces and were asked what they liked or felt about the space, what they didn’t like about the space and what was missing from the space or what they might like to see.
Mr Phillip said that Women’s Health East conducted a gender equity walk onsite, to share feedback from local women on the space and how it could be improved.
“As a result of their feedback, trail lighting was included in the project,” he said.
The project aims to apply an inclusive environmental design approach to deter crime, increase safety and activate public places.
The space is open and ready for public use.
