Oscar Parry
Macedon Ranges council adopted an alternate Stanley Park draft infrastructure master plan, with two councillors opposing the amendments due to concerns around accessibility.
The original officer-recommended draft infrastructure master plan for the park proposed consolidating recreation and playground facilities in the northeast corner of the park and was informed by an environmental master plan.
Cr Dominic Bonnano raised an alternative master plan at the June 26 council meeting, which proposed keeping the existing playground and barbeque areas in their current location, incorporating the car park in the western section of the park into the playground, maximising land available to be incorporated into the playground area, and removing any reference in the master plan to a consolidated recreation area in the northeast corner.
Cr Jennifer Anderson said that the original infrastructure master plan was a compromise between requests from those who are concerned with the park’s conservation value and those concerned with the park’s recreational facilities.
Cr Anderson said that the main reason she preferred the original master plan with a consolidated recreation area was that it prioritised accessibility and conservation.
“The main concern I have is disability access. So, with this plan … anyone who has a disability can easily use [the] park, kick or watch somebody else kick a football, [and] have the toilet all in one place,” Cr Anderson said.
“The way it is outlined in the alternate recommendation does limit disability access for people to be able to use the park well and have that play equipment.”
Mayor Annette Death also opposed the alternative master plan, referring to the council’s cultural diversity and inclusion statement in regards to park accessibility.
Cr Bonnano, said that he did not agree with the officer-recommended consolidated recreation area in the original master plan.
“The intended officer recommendation was around picnic and open space near a toilet – I don’t believe that’s what the community wants, and that’s not [where] people would picnic usually – near a toilet,” Cr Bonnano said.
The draft infrastructure master plan received 55 public submissions, with many of them concerning the rotunda, car park, playground, and play area.
When put to a vote at the June 26 council meeting, six councillors were in favour of the amended draft master plan and the motion was carried.
