In June 2019, we asked the community how they used the park and for ideas to improve it. From those ideas, we developed a draft concept plan and asked the community to share their feedback on the draft plan during September.

We received 310 recommendations on the concept plan from 120 participants; these responses were captured through Have Your Say, on-site event, social media posts and email.

Click here to read the community engagement report.

What we heard:

• Generally, the community responded favourably to the proposed design, with over 50% of responses to each question containing positive feedback.
• 64% of participants suggested more inclusive facilities that cater to a wider demographic of users – from toddlers and babies to more challenging equipment for older children.
• Participants wanted to see the heritage of the park reflected in the draft concept plan. In particular, through the material choices for the new equipment, the layout for the overall space and retaining space for existing uses of the park including socialising, gatherings and passive recreation.
• Pedestrian safety within the playground and access to and from St Vincent Gardens was also raised as a consideration.
• There were requests to include the upgrade of surrounding facilities in the project scope, including the toilets and waste bins.
• Participants desired the retention of social spaces for passive recreation, including quieter lawn areas within the park.

St Vincent Gardens is of national significance and on the Victorian Heritage Register. Any works to the gardens outside of general repairs, maintenance and tree management require a permit under the Heritage Act 2017. In addition to the community consultation with the public, we have also engaged with Heritage Victoria to provide preliminary advice on the concept design, prior to a formal permit application being sought.

The St Vincent Gardens Conservation Analysis and Management Strategy also helps guide development of the gardens and is considered by Heritage Victoria when assessing permit applications. You can view this document in the Have Your Say document library.

Their initial feedback indicates some redesign work is needed to meet their permit requirements.

We will continue to revise the concept design based on feedback received from the community and Heritage Victoria, with a final concept design expected by April 2020.