Ward News Kick off for Regents Park revamp

Work is now underway on our exciting redevelopment of Regents Park sporting facilities.

The $8.94 million project is driven by a need for more infrastructure to meet a growing participation in netball, cricket and AFL, particularly female participation.

The redevelopment of the pavilion gives us the opportunity to provide an all-inclusive space with all-gender change rooms, toilets, medical room, showers, bar, social space and storage.

Community use of the park will be enhanced by improved lighting, walking paths, landscaping and a new playground. Improvements to vehicle movement and car parking will also be made. Access to Regents Park will be maintained, and sporting activities at the site will proceed as usual, with temporary facilities provided during construction. The redevelopment is being jointly funded by Council, the Victorian Government ($3.3M) and sporting club contributions. Completion is due late this year.

0438 108 611 tracey.davies@kingston.vic.gov.au

Happy New Year, I hope you’ve had a relaxing summer after the often-hectic Christmas and New Year period. To me summer is a time to catch up with friends and family, hopefully some time off work and a chance to enjoy our local beaches.

I am excited about our plans for 2023. Last year we engaged in community consultation about developing new sporting facilities at Kingston Heath Reserve. Over 80 per cent of respondents expressed strong support. That strong community interest and feedback gives me confidence we’re balancing the need for sporting infrastructure with ensuring open space is maintained at Kingston Heath.

Council has now approved a three-stage project. Stage one includes a new additional synthetic hockey field, sports lighting, new shelters, goals and netting. This stage will now be included as a priority project for consideration when we prepare our Budget. Another exciting change for the reserve is the arrival of Kingston Farmer’s market.

I am sure locals and visitors to the park will love to see our great market.

It’s a pity it had to be moved from Sir William Fry, but I hope it flourishes in its new location.

In February councillors and council staff will spend a weekend planning the years ahead. Setting aside a weekend means we will all be focused on ensuring the key resident needs and priorities are established and planned for. If you have projects or issues you’d like included for consideration please contact me. I am happy to discuss how I can assist.

Cr Tamsin Bearsley

0430 170 210 tamsin.bearsley@kingston.vic.gov.au

In the previous edition I wrote about the great new Aspendale Gardens Sports Ground. Now, I am happy to report the $8.94 million redevelopment of Regents Park is underway and due to be finished later this year. As with Aspendale Gardens Sports Ground, we will provide an allinclusive space with all-gender change rooms and toilets. Encouraging more girls and women into sport is important and that can only be done by ensuring inclusive, safe sporting environments. Excitingly, the new Aspendale Life Saving Club is finished and the lifesavers are loving their new home. The modern building incorporates public toilets and outdoor showers and includes sustainability features such as rainwater tank, low consumption LED lighting, glazing to achieve maximum sunlight and water efficient fittings.

In line with our commitment to sustainability and recycling, we recently partnered with Braeside textile recyclers UPPAREL which aims to eradicate textile waste from landfills. The company is a great fit for Kingston as we share their passion for reusing, recycling and reducing the waste we send to landfill. Late last year, another business with sustainability at its core, Pianos Recycled, officially opened in Braeside.They recycle pianos that are beyond repair (some becoming art pieces) and retune the rest, giving them more years to be played and enjoyed. Some of the restored pianos go to schools.

It is wonderful that Kingston is home to these businesses and I am sure there are many others in our communities with an ecologically friendly ethos.

Councillors Tracey Davies and Tamsin Bearsley visit Regents Park, Aspendale as fencing is erected before redevelopment gets underway.

CR CAMERON HOWE

0429 498 028 cameron.howe@kingston.vic.gov.au

Hello Patterson Lakes (PL), Carrum and Bonbeach residents, my ward meeting is March 15, 6-7:30pm at PL Community Centre and congratulations to Junior Mayor, Eli Murphy of Carrum PS, one of 24 schools who took part. In much of our locality, the Victorian Government is either the landowner or a decision maker sparking campaigning, including a big win with our end of Patterson River receiving $3.5m ($6.5m total), including street-to-trail ramps, picnicking upgrades, pedestrian lighting, multipurpose office plans, entrance road redesign and investigation of a Bonbeach riverside boardwalk over the next two years. The Minister for Roads’ office confirm monitoring of the Thompson Road bridge, curbing PL town centre congestion including to “explore funding opportunities”, while the McLeod Road intersection is now a “high priority” for safety and congestion improvements.I also continue to press for a replacement Patterson River heavy-duty litter trap upstream. The riverside (condemned) 39-lot Berkeley Living complex, forced to close in 2017, awaits Supreme Court proceedings to force the sale, after the appointment of lawyers in December to compensate multiple owners, before a new property landowner can act. The Victorian Government has ruled out acquisition for parkland. Bonbeach LSC recently rebuilt has its Open Water Swim on March 9, and the Bonbeach Farmers Market is on March 12. Please celebrate and support all returning and new ventures at Harbour Plaza following the blaze; and perhaps pop into Patterson River Country Club for a hit or a pint. FB (pages): Cameron Howe. IG: @camhowe.

Happy New Year!

We constructed our first permanent Disc Golf course in 2019 at Bald Hill Park, Clarinda. The 9-hole course with two tee pads for each basket is home to the Melbourne Disc Golf Club. Following ongoing community interest in Disc Golf, we set up a trial 4-hole course in Bicentennial Park, Chelsea.We received positive feedback from our community and engaged a specialised consultant to conduct a site feasibility assessment for a second permanent course in Kingston, with Bicentennial Park identified as an ideal location. Contributions from a recent round of consultation are now being reviewed and I’ll be able to report back on key outcomes soon. Disc Golf is a fun recreational activity for people of all ages and this project is part of our commitment to providing active recreation spaces and activities in our reserves.

Late last year I was proud to help launch round two of the powerful Spirit of Transformation Program, which kicks off in March. We have committed $20,000 to deliver the grassroots, volunteer-led program in 2023. It is about lifting women up and transforming lives through fitness and health pursuits.

It is open to women aged over 25, from the Kingston or Frankston areas who have experienced challenges in life.

The 30 women learn to face obstacles and build resilience as they strive for an end goal – a 3-day, 60 kilometre walk from Frankston to Cape Schanck Walk. I wish them all the best of luck.

We constructed our first permanent Disc Golf course in 2019 at Bald Hill Park, Clarinda. The 9-hole course with two tee pads for each basket is home to the Melbourne Disc Golf Club. Following ongoing community interest in the activity, we set up a trial 4-hole course in Bicentennial Park, Chelsea.

We received positive feedback from our community and engaged a specialised consultant to conduct a site feasibility assessment for a second permanent course in Kingston, with Bicentennial Park identified as an ideal location.

CR

DAVID EDEN 0422

Happy New Year to you all.

A little good news to share – our plan to give Edithvale shopping strip a major facelift is moving forward. We want to deliver new landscaping, street furniture and paving, along with streetscape upgrades, along the Nepean Highway between Bank Road and Carrington Street. A preliminary concept design is being prepared and will be shared with the community for feedback. I will keep you updated.

To those of you who offered feedback on our important draft Urban Forest Strategy, thank you. We plan to plant more trees on Council land and in streets and protect and maintain existing public and private trees and vegetation. An urban forest helps to provide cool streets, shaded walkways, comfortable homes, clean air and habitat for biodiversity. It benefits the whole community and it’s important we protect and expand it! Our open space team has been busy last year, too, planting 4200 trees in our streets, parks and reserves this year. Trees absorb carbon, provide shade, habitat for birds and improve the aesthetic of our neighbourhoods.

We are now reviewing your comments on the Urban Forest Draft Strategy and the outcomes of the consultation will be documented on our website. Keep an eye out for it at yourkingstonyoursay. com.au/urbanforest. You can also watch the short video to find out more about the importance of our trees and vegetation and what we’re proposing to do to protect and enhance the urban forest in Kingston.