For many years the foreshore area around Henty Beach and the Bentinck Street Lawns has provided a perfect spot for picnics and play, as well as the location for festivals, markets, carnivals and charity events.As part of our Portland Bay Coastal Infrastructure Plan, Council is investigating how we might make the foreshore area even better for the entire community. We call the project Portland LIVE.

What is Portland LIVE?

The intent of the Portland LIVE project is to create an all ages community space which revitalises and activates the foreshore and Bentinck Street Lawns precinct. With a focus on casual and active recreation we aim to create a place which provides picnic areas for families and young children, skate and social spaces for older kids and quieter accessible & sheltered seating & activity spaces for older people. The project is called Portland LIVE.

With help from the local community we believe that the space can:

Be anchored in Portland’s history and community;

Be designed to ensure the space will be of the whole community;

Include events and activities which are exciting and ; and

Help create an adaptable, innovative and dynamic space.

We want to ensure any new design respects the history of the space, while being able to accommodate a mixture of existing and future activities, such as festivals, markets, carnivals and charity events.

Portland’s foreshore is made up of two areas - Nun’s Beach to the north and Henty Beach to the south of the breakwater. Portland LIVE is concentrating on the areas around Henty Beach and the Bentinck Street Lawns. This space is currently used frequently for family recreation with numerous playgrounds, a skatepark, open kick about spaces and easy access to the CBD.

A whole of community space

Council is looking for the community to help create a vision for the space. We’d like you to get involved and tell us what sort of space you would like to see on the foreshore and Bentinck Street Lawns.

What sort of features do you feel make a great outdoor community space?

What does inclusive mean to you? How can we have areas for everyone?

What does vibrant mean to you?

What elements or components best capture Portland’s local character?

What local events could work even better if they were able to be held more easily on the foreshore?

Are there examples of other community spaces which you feel truly provide a space for the whole community to enjoy?

What should the space be called?

How can you get involved?

From 18 February to 14 April we want the community to have their say about the vision for the foreshore and Bentinck Street Lawns.

Community Ideas ForumWe are hosting a ‘community ideas forum’ at the in the Reception Room, Glenelg Shire Council Offices on Thursday 14 March from 6.00 to 9.00pm. Come along to learn more about the project and help us understand the kind of space you want to see at the Foreshore and Bentinck Street Lawns and what activities could be held there.

Online From 18 February you can take part in an online survey to quickly answer a few questions about the kinds of activities and events you’d like to see happen at the Foreshore and Bentinck Street Lawns. Additionally you can send any ideas or feed-back to portlandLIVE@glenelg.vic.gov.au

Concept Design Information EveningOn Tuesday 16 April from 6.00 to 9.00pm we will hold an information evening where our design experts will be on hand to talk the community through a draft concept for the renewed foreshore activity space. Come along to the Supper Room, Portland Civic Hall, Bentinck Street and see how we’re progressing and give us your additional ideas and feedback.

History On The LawnsIn order to help our designers get their creative juices flowing we’d love for the local community to scan and send us copies of any photographs of past events held on the fore-shore and lawns. Additionally if you have any stories about the foreshore we’d love to hear them too.

Following conversations with local community, Council is confident that the space will reflect the whole community’s current and future needs, wants and desires for the foreshore area.For more information visit www.glenelg.vic.gov.au or email portlandLIVE@glenelg.vic.gov.au

GLENELG SHIRE COUNCIL | 71 Cliff St, Portland, VIC 3305 Telephone 1300GLENELG (1300 453 635)