Significant consultation conversations have been occurring in Eley Ward.
I joined a pop up outside Burwood Brickworks shopping centre in early April to ask locals (residents and other Whitehorse participants) what they think Whitehorse should prioritise in the next 4 years. This is about considering together what the next Council Plan 2025-2029 should drive to encourage and achieve.
The views I heard are diverse. The point to me is not only listening carefully to what people have to say; the bigger point is that with more different thinking taken into account we problem solve better.
Years of planning and negotiation are reflected in the April-early May consultation on the 25 hectare Wurundjeri Walk corridor, which takes in Mirrabooka, Orchard Grove and Fulton Reserves. An integrated 15 year Master Plan for this incredible natural and community asset is essential if we are to plan long-range and smart.
Master-planning brings a equitable lens so that the views of sporting clubs, the Bunglalook Nursery, play space users, and bushland enthusiasts can be brought alongside work with the Department of Education stakeholders in Orchard Grove Primary and the Aurora School – and broader environmental considerations including those associated with the Melbourne Water wetlands component. This is a complex precinct, with different land ownership butting up against the desire for deeper co-operative uses. The consultation also speaks to the coming Mirrabooka pavilion redevelopment supported by Council, State and Federal funding. I am delighted to see so many voices sharing in the conversation.
