Project update - June 2024

At the Council Meeting on Tuesday 18 June, Council endorsed the final draft Concept Design for upgrading Charles Evans Reserve.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to both stages of community engagement. Your feedback has been incredibly valuable.

In August and September 2023, we asked you to share your thoughts so we could better understand how you want to use this space. During this stage of consultation there was strong support (+60%) for the option to replace and upgrade the existing playground.

In the second stage of consultation in February 2024, we asked you to share your thoughts on the draft Concept Design, including what you liked about the design, if there was anything missing and whether you supported expanding the reserve into Cubitt Street. This suggested change received strong support from the community (77%).

You can learn more about the community engagement for both stages further down this page.

We will continue to keep you informed about the progress of this project, every step of the way.

Play space design

We are working closely with a playground designer and play expert to create a customised play solution that will deliver the same or increased range of play opportunities as the existing playground. The final design of the play space will be dependent on detailed design, however it will include:

  • A brand new play equipment combination unit with toddler slide
  • A basket swing suitable for different ages and abilities to play on
  • More nature-play options for young minds to explore and discover
  • The play equipment will be easily accessible from the shared path while being separated from dog walking and other activities.

Proposed expansion of the reserve into Cubitt Street

Council will now undertake a traffic and parking study in the local area around Charles Evans Reserve.

Stage 2 community consultation

This consultation is closed. Thanks for sharing your feedback, we'll use it to shape the Final Concept Design for upgrading Charles Evans Reserve.

Draft concept design

We’ve developed a draft Concept Design to improve Charles Evans Reserve. Now we need you to review the design and let us know what you think!

In August - September last year, we asked for your help to better understand how you want to use this space. We used your feedback to inform the development of the draft Concept Design. You can read more about the results from this stage of the consultation at the bottom of this page.

The draft Concept Design aims to provide a tranquil garden space for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Download the draft Concept Design or view the image slider and hotspot map below for key highlights.

View the map

Select the icons on the map below to find out more details about the draft Concept Design.

Artists drawing of a small park with trees, furniture, play equipment, dogs playing and people relaxing.

Upgrading the play space

The existing playground will be relocated to a shadier part of the reserve, removing the need for the shade sail. The proposed play space design includes:

  • combination play equipment unit with toddler slide attached
  • a basket swing suitable for children of different ages and abilities
  • nature-play options.

The play space will be easily accessible from the path while being separated from dog walking and other activities.

Dover street entrance

The existing Dover Street entrance is narrow and difficult to see. The proposal is to provide a new entrance path, render and brick cap the existing retaining wall and add informal seating.

A treatment will also be added to the sound wall to soften its visual impact, if approved by Transurban (the authority who manages the sound wall). The sound wall would be either painted (such as an artist’s mural), or have a pattern added to it. Planting along the sound wall would also be refreshed.

Cubitt street entrance

The existing Cubitt Street entrance is too steep to provide access-for-all. We're proposing that the entrance be relocated further south, allowing the lawn area to be securely fenced and improving accessibility.

The southern end of Cubitt Street would be closed to vehicle traffic, creating space for a multi-sport area for sports such as basketball, soccer, four-square, and a rebound wall. Bleacher seats will create an area for relaxing and sports watching.

If this option is supported, it would result in the removal of four 2-hour parking spaces. No permit parking spaces would be removed, but some permit parking bays would need to be relocated to the other side of the street.

Engagement Results

Read the Engagement Report for more details about this stage of community engagement.

Stage 1 community consultation

This consultation has now closed. Your feedback will be used to help inform the development of a concept design for the Charles Evans Reserve upgrade.

About the park

Charles Evans Reserve is a small park located near the Yarra River in Cremorne. It includes a shaded playground, drinking fountain, garden beds and small grassy area.

This park must meet the needs of a diverse and increasing population and accommodate different groups of park users, including local residents, visitors and people who work in the local area.

Cremorne has less than 0.5% open space and land for additional open space is not likely to become available in the short term.

Additionally, commercial development is drawing new people to the area for work and Cremorne’s residential population is also growing.

Community Engagement - August / September 2023

During the first stage of community engagement, in late-2023, 126 people (121 of them Cremorne and Richmond residents) completed an online survey about the reserve and what they would like to see in the new design.

A key element of this stage of the consultation was understanding how the community felt about the existing playground at Charles Evans Reserve.

The existing playground was installed in 2006. It offers limited play value and does not meet accessibility standards. The size of the park is quite small and, including the soft-fall area, the playground takes up approximately 20% of the total park area.

Three options were presented for replacing the playground:

  1. Providing a new dedicated playground to offer a broader range of play opportunities and provide accessible access. This would take up the same or greater amount of space as the existing playground.
  2. Providing informal play elements that are integrated throughout the overall design of the park (such as nature play) to enable a more flexible use of the park.
  3. Removing the playground and not replacing it. This would create more space for recreation and other landscaping and design elements.

From the feedback it was clear that a majority (+60%) wanted the existing playground to be replaced and upgraded with a playground of similar size.

Community feedback also included the desire for:

  • A new location for the place space with some nature-play elements
  • Space for walking dogs
  • More picnic facilities, including and BBQ and more tables and chairs
  • Improved lighting
  • Space for meeting friends and family
  • Separation between dogs and children’s play
  • A basketball/sports area with play opportunities for older children and young adults.

Engagement results

Read the Engagement Report for more information about this stage of the consultation.