Concept Design finalised for new open space at Mater Street in Collingwood
3 June 2026
The draft Concept Design for a new open space at Mater Street has been considered by Council and has now been finalised.
Project background
Sentiment testing with the local community in late 2025 indicated support for a new open space at this location. A separate road discontinuance process for the site was also conducted and approved by Council in March this year.
We then undertook community consultation from 20 March to 13 April 2026. The engagement sought feedback on the proposed draft concept design and included two pop-up sessions, an online survey and targeted stakeholder engagement.
What did we ask?
We asked the community to tell us:
- Which park features do you feel are most important to include as we finalise the draft Concept Design? (tell us your top 3)
- Is there anything you would change to improve the draft Concept Design?
- Do you have any other comments about this project?
Who did we hear from?
Engagement results summary
| Theme | What we heard | How we responded |
| Green space and tree canopy
| Strong support for prioritising greenery, tree canopy, shade and grassed areas. Preference for fewer hard surfaces and a more parklike environment. | The concept design will prioritise additional tree planting, green space and shaded areas. Hard surfaces will be minimised where possible, with paths and paved areas limited to key circulation and access needs. |
| Play and recreation
| Support for recreational use in the space, including suggestions for programmed games and associated provision. Support for structured play elements, including play opportunities for young children. Preference for low impact, flexible activities that do not dominate the park or negatively affect residential amenity. | Play and recreation opportunities will be informal, flexible and integrated within the landscape. Play elements will be revised whilst considering the inclusion of all ages and abilities, as well as support everyday use without dominating the space or impacting nearby residents. |
| Access, safety and residential amenity
| Safety and accessibility were key concerns, particularly for children and wheelchair users given the park’s proximity to Wellington Street.
|
Pedestrian safety and universal access will be prioritised in the park design. Path alignments, crossings and visibility will be designed to support safe use for all users while protecting residential amenity. Barriers and low fencing elements will be investigated to improve safety adjacent to Wellington and Mater Street interfaces.
|
| Parking and vehicle access
| A small number of participants raised concerns about traffic and parking impacts Some concerns about vehicle movement and local access. Requests to retain accessible parking and ensure safe vehicle movement. | Parking impacts will be carefully managed through design finalisation. Accessible parking and safe vehicle manoeuvring will be retained where possible and considered alongside pedestrian safety outcomes. Bicycle parking is included in both locations to support active travel.
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View the Final Concept Design and Engagement Report
What happens next?
The concept design has been finalised, incorporating community feedback, and we are now preparing to go out to tender for construction.
The capital works budget for construction of a new open space at Mater Street has been included in the draft Council budget 2026/27. This project has been allocated $1,200,000.
Visit the project page
To read more on this project, visit the New Open Space at Mater Street page on Your Say Yarra.
