About this project
What is the plan for small parks across Balaclava and St Kilda East?
About the project
Balaclava/St Kilda East has the lowest amount of open space of all neighbourhoods in our City.
Currently, Balaclava and St Kilda East have eight open spaces, making up only 5% of the total neighbourhood area. This is significantly lower than the City of Port Phillip average of 17%.
Council plans to create or expand a number of small parks at the following locations:
- 15 Marriott Street, St Kilda (abutting Jim Duggan Reserve)
- 49, 49A & 51 Pakington Street, St Kilda (abutting Pakington Street Reserve)
- 30 Kalymna Grove, St Kilda East
- 14 Lansdowne Road, St Kilda East.
These small parks will provide important open space to our community, as well as minimising urban heat - helping to cool our City. They will help to support Balaclava/St Kilda East’s growing population, which is expected to grow by almost 9% by 2041.
The size and residential location of the small parks will mean they’re not active recreation spaces, however they will provide small green spaces where our community can enjoy sunshine, nature, relax under a tree and socialise with friends and family.
Location maps
Location map of all proposed sites
Location map of the proposed small parks projects
Provide your feedback
Provide your feedback
Small Parks Projects Survey
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Balaclava and St Kilda East have eight open spaces, making up 5% of the total neighbourhood area. While Alma Park is one of the highest quality spaces in the municipality, Balaclava and St Kilda East have the lowest amount of open space of all our neighbourhoods, significantly lower than the City average of 17% and have one of the larger historic gaps in our public space network.
As such, they are a focus area for additional open space in the future. This was identified as a neighbourhood priority action in the Public Space Strategy 2022-32.
These small parks will also help to minimise urban heat, helping to cool our City.
The new or expanded parks will deliver:
- Increased usable open space and passive recreational facilities
- Safer and clearer links and connections for walking and cycling
- Accessibility for all site users, including people with disability
- Increased tree canopy cover and shade
- Increased biodiversity and greening
- Increased site permeability and improved drainage.
Each of the small parks projects will have different construction timelines. Separate project pages will be set up for each site once design begins - we will provide a link to these from this project page when available.
We plan to have the construction of these open spaces completed during 2026.
The selection of sites for new small parks is guided by City of Port Phillip's Public Space Strategy and Land Acquisition Policy, aiming to enhance community wellbeing and address park shortages.
New parks have been identified in areas with limited access to existing parks, ensuring equitable distribution of green space.
This aims to address the City of Port Phillip Council Plan 2021-31 measure of Proportion of residents living within short, easy and safe walking distance of public open space. That is, without having to cross major roads or other physical barriers such as railways or waterways.
43 Pakington Street does not form part of this engagement project.
Engagement about 43 Pakington Street was carried out in previously, in October - November 2023. You can read more about this previous engagement here.
What we hear from the community during this engagement will help to inform Council decision-making about the small parks projects. We will report back to the community on how your feedback has helped to inform decision-making.
