Attachments: 1. Supporting Attachment 2. Draft Princes Park Master Plan

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F U T U R E M E L B O U R N E ( E C O C I T Y ) C O M M I T T E E R E P O R T

Agenda Item 5.5

DRAFT PRINCES PARK MASTER PLAN 3 July 2012

Presenter: Ian Shears, Manager Urban Landscapes

Purpose and background

1. The purpose of the report is to seek endorsement of the Draft Princes Park Master Plan (the Plan) for community consultation (refer Attachment 2).

2. Princes Park is located adjacent to Royal Parade, approximately 2.5 km north of the central city. The park has an area of approximately 39 hectares and provides a setting for a wide range of recreation and sporting activities.

3. Princes Park is Crown land permanently reserved as a site for a public park under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1987. The City of Melbourne was appointed the Committee of Management of the park in 1917 and is responsible for its care and management.

4. In 1998, Council approved the Princes Park Ten Year Plan to guide the Park’s development. Since then, the park has seen significant change. The relocation of AFL matches away from the Carlton Recreation Ground has meant the ground no longer receives large crowds of spectators and the park itself is no longer used for car parking on match days. There has also been an increase in the level of use of the park, particularly the demand for community sport.

5. A Plan has been developed to ensure Princes Park responds to these and other changes as well as continuing to meet the needs of all users. The Draft Master Plan is to replace the 1998 Ten Year Plan.

Key issues

6. Extensive community consultation on current issues undertaken in March and April 2012 has revealed general satisfaction with the activities and uses the park provides.

7. The community consultation has also informed the direction of the Plan. Key recommendations for the Plan are to: further develop play opportunities especially for young people (aged 12-18); upgrade the pond; rationalise existing car parks adjacent to the Bowls Club and the Northern Pavilion and provide drop-off/pick-up and disabled parking at these sites; upgrade sports fields; install a multipurpose synthetic sports surface on Crawford Oval; separate the jogging tracking from the shared pathway along Royal Parade; and install new picnic and amenity facilities.

8. These key recommendations have been considered by the Parks and Gardens Advisory Committee which is supportive of the direction of the Plan.

Recommendation from management

9. That the Future Melbourne Committee endorse the release of the Draft Princes Park Master Plan (Attachment 2) for community consultation.

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SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT

Legal

1. The subject matter of the report and the recommendations are within the powers and functions of Council.

Finance

2. The Draft Princes Park Master Plan development has been funded through the Urban Landscapes operating budget. It should be noted that any prioritised works associated with the Master Plan will need to be included in the implementation plan and funded accordingly. The funding will be subject to budget approval.

Conflict of interest

3. No member of Council staff, or other person engaged under a contract, involved in advising on or preparing this report has declared a direct or indirect interest in relation to the matter of the report.

Stakeholder consultation

4. Community engagement occurred in March - April 2012 to support the preparation of the Draft Master Plan. Feedback on current uses, activities and issues was encouraged through a range of engagement techniques to target park users, sports groups, local residents and businesses (including resident associations), children, local schools, universities and key stakeholders.

5. Engagement techniques included letter drops to local residents, a community ideas and information session in the park, signs in the park, local community newsletter, corporate advertisements in the local media and information on the City of Melbourne’s website. Approximately 10,500 nearby households and businesses were advised of the issues paper and 309 responses were received. Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders including Carlton Football Club, Carlton Cricket Club, Princes Hill Tennis Club, Princes Park Carlton Bowls Club, Princes Hill Secondary College, Princes Hill Primary School and Melbourne University.

6. The next stage of community engagement will be on the Draft Master Plan, over a four week period during August 2012 using a variety of techniques such as media releases, letter drops, local newspapers / newsletters, information signage at the park and the City of Melbourne website. Feedback received will be used to inform the preparation of the Master Plan.

7. The issues were considered by the Parks and Gardens Advisory Committee at it’s February 2012 meeting. A number of committee members attended a site visit with Council officers to discuss the issues in more detail.

8. The key recommendations were considered by the Parks and Gardens Advisory Committee in May 2012 which was supportive of the proposed directions of the Master Plan.

9. The Master Plan will be presented to Council for consideration in September 2012.

Attachment 1Agenda Item 5.5

Future Melbourne Committee3 July 2012

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Relation to Council policy

10. The recommendation is consistent with Future Melbourne’s goal for Quality Public Open Space under A City for People.

11. The preparation of the Draft Master Plan is consistent with the City of Melbourne’s Parks Policy (1997), which commits City of Melbourne to prepare plans for all the City’s major parks.

12. The proposals contained within the Draft Master Plan are consistent with the City of Melbourne’s Draft Urban Forest Strategy (2012), Draft Open Space Strategy (2012), Tree Policy (1998), Growing Green (2003), Active Melbourne (2007), and Bike Plan (2007).

Environmental sustainability

13. The proposed directions in the Draft Master Plan including increasing the population of trees and open space, investigating water saving measures, decreasing the demand for water use, increasing biodiversity through plant species selection and habitat opportunities and using energy efficient infrastructure such as lighting.

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Princes ParkDraft Master PlanJuly 2012

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Princes Park Draft Master Plan

ContentsIntroduction 4

Purpose of the master plan 4

Preparation of the draft master plan 4

Have your say 4

Princes Park 5

Description of Princes Park 5

History 6

Policy context 7

Vision and principles 9

Vision 9

Principles 9

Cultural heritage 9

Landscape character 9

Uses and activities 10

Access, amenity and safety 10

Environmental sustainability 10

Future directions 12

Landscape character and vegetation 12

Managing Melbourne’s tree population 12

Uses and activities 15

Informal recreation 15

Play 15

Walking, cycling and jogging 17

Specific proposals for the jogging track are to: 17

Dogs 18

Events and Commercial activities 18

Community sporting use 19

Princes Park Carlton Bowls Club and northern park 21

Princes Hill Tennis Club 22

Legend’s Stand undercroft 22

Park amenities and services 23

Caretaker’s cottage 23

Public toilets 23

Lighting, signs and furniture 24

Car parking 24

Vehicle access 25

Environmental sustainability 26

Sustainability and water security 26

Implementation 27

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Princes Park Draft Master Plan

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Introduction

Princes Park is one of Melbourne’s most valued and well-used inner urban parks. Located in the north of the City of Melbourne municipality and less than three kilometres from Melbourne’s central city, it includes an attractive landscape of open vistas framed by grand avenues of trees. The park provides a setting for a wide range of recreation and sporting activities for people from both a local and regional catchment.

Like many other parks in Melbourne, Princes Park is under pressure from many different uses and influences. The level of use of the park is increasing, particularly the demand for community sport. Population growth and the impacts of climate change are expected to increase this pressure. The park also faces significant vegetation management issues as a result of its uniformly ageing stock of mature trees.

This plan is based on a review of the 1998 Princes Park Ten Year Plan and sets a vision that protects and enhances the park’s inherent qualities into the future.

Purpose of the master plan

The purpose of the Princes Park Master Plan 2012 is to set the strategic direction and guide the management of the park over the next 10 years.

The master plan addresses all areas of Princes Park outside the Carlton Recreation Ground. The stadium and internal spaces of the ground are managed by the Carlton Football Club under a lease separate to the rest of the park. However, the perimeter of the stadium and its relationship to the surrounding parkland are addressed in this plan.

Preparation of the draft master plan

This draft master plan has been prepared following a number of processes, including research and data collection on uses and activities, the response to current Council policy and the history of Princes Park.

An Issues Paper was released for community consultation in March 2012. The 300 responses received provided valuable feedback that has guided the development of this draft master plan.

Have your say

Your views on this draft master plan are important and will help guide the future direction of Princes Park.

Your responses will assist the City of Melbourne to prepare a final master plan for Princes Park.

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Princes Park Draft Master Plan

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Princes Park

Description of Princes Park

Princes Park is within the City of Melbourne and borders the City of Yarra to the east and the City of Moreland to the north. Covering an area of approximately 39 ha and stretching for 1.5 km along Royal Parade, the park forms part of one of the most important gateways into central Melbourne.

Princes Park is Crown land permanently reserved as a site for a public park. The Melbourne City Council as Committee of Management of the park is responsible for its care and management.

The park’s landscape is characterised by a mix of grassed clearings, edged with avenues of mature trees along pathways. The southern part of the park provides open vistas of the city skyline. The northern part of the park

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is more enclosed with surrounding buildings and tree lined pathways. A dominant feature of the park is the Carlton Recreation Ground which, in part, visually divides the sports fields to the south with the largely informal recreation spaces to the north.

Throughout its history, sport has been a strong focus in the park. Carlton Football Club, Carlton Cricket Club, Princes Park Carlton Bowls Club and Princes Hill Tennis Club have all been active in the park since the late 19th and early 20th century.

In the draft City of Melbourne Open Space Strategy, the park is identified as a Regional level open space with a primary purpose of catering to a broader Melbourne-wide population, including residents of the City of Melbourne.

Locality Plan

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DOG OFF LEASH AREA

FUTURE TREE PLANTING

EXISTING TREES

BOOKABLE EVENTS SPACE

BOWLS CLUB UPGRADES

NEW FOOTBRIDGE

NEW PLAY & PICNIC FACILITIES

TREE RENEWAL

DEPOT / SERVICE VEHICLE ACCESS

UNDERCROFT IMPROVEMENTS

JOGGING TRACK REALIGNMENT

CENTRAL ELM WALK RENEWAL

RATIONALISATION OF PARKING

RATIONALISATION OF PARKING

PLAYGROUND RENEWAL

TENNIS CLUB IMPROVEMENTS

SPORTSFIELD UPGRADES

MULTIPURPOSE SYNTHETIC OVAL

NEW TOILET & PICNIC TABLES

TOILET

TRAM STOP

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Princes Park Draft Master Plan

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History

Princes Park was part of 2,560 acres reserved from sale by Superintendent La Trobe in 1845, which included land now occupied by Royal Park, Melbourne Cemetery and the University of Melbourne. The land was predominantly grassland, with scattered stands of river red gums, yellow gums and box.

In 1873 a total of 97 acres was reserved as ‘Princes Park’ and the land permanently vested in the Ministry of Lands and Melbourne City Council to be used ‘for the recreation and amusement of our subjects and people’.

In 1885, extensive tree planting took place, including lemon scented gums, Gippsland mahogany and English elms. A brick caretaker’s cottage was constructed together with an internal carriage drive, while a strip of land was excised from the northern end of the park for the construction of the North Carlton Railway.

An oval was established in the southern section of the park in 1878 and at the same time Carlton Cricket Club requested to move from its triangular site south of Cemetery Road West into the park. In 1886 land was granted to the Princes Hill Bowling Club to be located north of the North Carlton Railway line. During 1895 the newly merged Carlton Football and Cricket Clubs were granted permissive occupancy of the land now occupied by the Carlton Recreation Ground.

To encourage greater public use, Council removed the boundary fences around the park in 1918, constructed tennis courts in 1919 and established a playground alongside the tennis courts in 1921. Subsequently, a grass walk was constructed in 1922 stretching from the Macpherson Street and Garton Street corner to the railway line, while enhancements were undertaken north of the line, where a lake was constructed that was later converted to a children’s wading pool in 1937.

Princes Park Drive was constructed in 1936 and the sports pavilions alongside Sydney Road (now Royal Parade) were constructed in 1938. Little work occurred in the park during the 1940s except for an army depot built in 1942.

Sporting facilities were upgraded in the 1950s while the 1960s saw the construction of Crawford Oval and the nearby soccer pitch, and closure of the wading pool due to health concerns.

Oval One was constructed in 1972 to promote junior sport in the Carlton area as well as act as a playing field for Princes Hill Secondary College and the training ground for the Carlton Cricket and Football clubs.

In 1973, a master plan was completed which resulted in improvements to the children’s play area and general upgrading works. In 1976 a fitness circuit was introduced around the edge of the park.

Princes Park site plan, 1905Reproduced from Whitehead, Pg 8

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Princes Park Draft Master Plan

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A second Princes Park Master Plan was developed in 1988. Subsequently, the ornamental pond was reconstructed at the north end of the park, the railway reserve was restored as parkland, a picnic area was established near the children’s play area near Garton Street and a gravel running track constructed around the perimeter of the park.

In 1996, the new ‘Legends Stand’ was erected along the eastern edge of the Carlton Recreation Ground. New children’s playground equipment was installed near Macpherson Street, while tree planting was carried out in under-utilised corners throughout the park.

In 1998 a third master plan was approved. The plan set out the strategic direction for management of the park as well improvements to its amenity and appearance. Since 1998 there have been significant improvements to the park. Tree planting has taken place predominately in the southern section of the park, fitness stations have been upgraded and the east-west paths have been renewed along with associated new park lighting. In addition, the pond has been connected to the Royal Park wetlands water storage as a part Council’s commitment to water harvesting and reuse.

In 2005, the use of the Carlton Recreation Ground for AFL games was discontinued and in 2006 the redevelopment of the ground began to provide elite training and administration facilities. Additional works in this area of the park include relocation of the Depot to the Carlton Recreation Ground, reinstatement of the caretakers cottage and upgrade of Carlton Recreation Ground Car Park.

Policy context

The Draft Princes Park Master Plan has been developed in the wider strategic framework of the City of Melbourne.

A number of higher level strategies and policies have shaped the draft Princes Park Master Plan. These include:

The Conservation Analysis for Princes Park (2012)Draft Open Space Strategy (2012)Draft Urban Forest Strategy (2012)Water Management Plan (2009-2013) Parks, Gardens and Open Spaces (2009) Future Melbourne 2008Active Melbourne Strategy (2007)Council Plan 2009–2013Growing Green (2003)Parks Policy 1998Tree Policy 1998Princes Park Ten Year Plan (1998)

Photos by Phillip Rogers, 1982Source: State Library of Victoria

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