Not-too-distant change for the Brown Hill Reserve is afoot, with the City of Ballarat seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the community's view on possible improvements and future projects for the precinct.
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The reserve, located off Humffray Street North in Brown Hill, is currently home to a council-operated eight-decade old swimming pool as well as a playground, cricket oval and other community buildings.
Preliminary plans for the future of the reserve were commenced by the Brown Hill Progress Association late last year, which gauged community sentiment on what use, if any, could be made of the existing swimming pool and other space within the reserve, with suggested possibilities including a skate park, splash park, basketball half-court or off-leash dog park.
At the time, council's director of development and growth Natalie Robertson indicated that council had no formal plans for the reserve, though discussions with the community would be ongoing.
Noting Brown Hill's "booming population", however, acting City of Ballarat mayor Amy Johnson said council had since shifted its position and was hoping to capitalise on that important community work by developing a master plan for the site.
"Brown Hill is such a desirable place to live and has a really engaged community," she said, in a nod to the important community consultation work the Brown Hill Progress Association had already achieved. "And, it's true that in previous years council tended to do a lot of piecemeal projects across the city without necessarily considering the broader plan for particular areas."
"So, what we're really aiming to do here is develop a sophisticated master plan, which reflects the priorities that most resonate with the community."
It was a view shared by north ward councillor Peter Eddy, who said it was important the future master plan gave expression to the priorities of residents.
"The Brown Hill Recreation Reserve is much loved by the local community and for many it is the heart of the suburb," he said. "As councillors, we have a responsibility to listen to the needs of our residents and really understand what it is they want from our current and future plans."
A drop-in community consultation session will be held at the reserve today from 4pm to 7pm in the Pavilion (Reid Court, Brown Hill), where residents can discuss their ideas for the draft master plan with councillors and project managers.
Residents can alternatively complete two short online surveys focused on current use of the reserve and potential projects. The surveys will remain live until Friday July 15, and will inform the draft master plan, which will then be released for community feedback.
Several community organisations currently use the reserve, including the Brown Hill community hall committee, the Brown Hill cricket club, Eureka athletics club and the Wallaby Track parkrun.
Click here to complete the surveys.
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