Hume council has resolved to scale back elements of its Jacana Valley masterplan after a debate at its September 22 meeting, with councillors split over whether to keep the door open on the long-proposed 1000 steps fitness circuit.
The masterplan, which was first adopted in 2015, set out a five-year vision to improve access, trails, and facilities in the valley.
While the main north-south path has since been completed and links into the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, several flagship projects, including the 1000 steps and a pitch-and-putt golf facility, were deemed unfeasible because of environmental, cultural and landfill constraints.
Council officers recommended shifting the focus towards tree planting, revegetation, signage and further trail connections, alongside collaboration with the chain of ponds initiative in order to restore Moonee Ponds Creek.
Debate centred around whether the fitness circuit should continue to be explored.
Councillor Naim Kurt argued the original masterplan only ever required feasibility work and said changes in conservation listings for the Golden Sun Moth could reduce costs, pushing for the project to at least be considered at a future budget planning weekend.
“I understand some projects are viable and some are not,” he said.
Acting planning places director James McNulty highlighted the looseness of the original plans for Jacana Valley.
“There was an original master plan for Jacana Valley that identified that feasibility work should be done on a number of projects, the 1000 steps being one of those projects. At that time, I think I would describe it as some loose plans,” he said.
“An investigation was conducted and it was determined that it was not feasible to do that project.”
An alternative motion to refer the project to a budget planning weekend was put to vote, ultimately losing. A subsequent attempt to defer the matter for further information by Cr Kurt was also defeated.
Ultimately, councillors voted to adopt the report recommendations as written but the vote was split.
The decision formally rules out the 1000 Steps and pitch-and-putt projects, with the decision re-committing council to nature-based improvements and better trail links in the valley, with funding bids to be considered in 2026-27.
