Community consultation is open for Whittlesea’s draft public open space plan until 15 February.
The 2026-36 plan will shape the future of parks, reserves and public spaces over the next 10 years.
Whittlesea mayor Lawrie Cox said he wants everyone to have great open spaces close to home, places to connect with nature and be active.
“Our vision is to create welcoming, well-designed public spaces that support healthy lifestyles and protect our natural environment,” he said.
“The plan will guide us to create greener, cooler and more accessible parks, trails and town centres that are vibrant, safe and enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities.”
The draft plan was endorsed at the 16 December council meeting, though council rejected an amendment about preventing bushfires.
Councillor Michael Labrador raised the amendment, proposing to proactively reduce the risks of bushfires by removing dead wood, undergrowth and dense scrub.
“We don’t want another Black Saturday… we need to be proactive not reactive,” Cr Labrador said.
Cr Labrador said hazardous material in the area stoked the flames and added to the disaster in February 2008.
The amendment was not carried as a majority of councillors agreed the additional wording had not been carefully considered.
Cr Jarrod Lappin said while it is good to reduce fuel and bushfire risk, he doesn’t want the commitment to go overboard.
“I want to make sure that the undergrowth is looked after in a sustainable way and it isn’t just gotten rid of prematurely or in a way that would be a detriment to the environment,” Cr Lappin said.
“A lot of our smaller native wildlife use that undergrowth for their protection from other animals.”
Cr Martin Taylor also voted against the amendment though he said he understands the sentiment as he witnessed Black Saturday.
“There’s a 30-metre wall of fire rushing at you, like a locomotive… you’re armed with 600 gallons of water and you’re trying to put it out and protect the community.”
Cr Taylor said he wants to leave feedback up to the community before making changes to the plan.
Councillor Aidan McLindon said the draft plan sends a clear message to developers about the future of the municipality.
“We’ve got unprecedented growth… and we don’t want sardine cans, we want open public spaces that can be enjoyed by… the next generation,” he said.
Details: https://engage.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/openspaceplan
