This consultation is now closed. Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and/or a submission.

We have an opportunity to create more open space in Collingwood by creating a new park on Otter Street, with support from the Victorian Government through their Local Parks Program.

To create this new open space for the local community, we discontinued the road at Otter Street to create a new park for everyone to enjoy.

Yarra City Council officially opened Otter Street Pocket Park on Friday 9 February 2024. The new pocket park in Collingwood will give the local community a much-needed place to socialise, relax, connect with nature.

Yarra delivered Otter Street pocket park in partnership with the Victorian Government, who have supported the project with $1.19m funding.

Yarra City Council has invested a further $675,000 towards the project.

A rare opportunity to create a new park in Collingwood

We’ve got an opportunity to create a brand new park on Otter Street, Collingwood for everyone to enjoy.

Did you know Collingwood has the least amount of open space out of all Yarra's suburbs, with just three square metres of open space for every square kilometre of land? We're changing this!

The Victorian Government's Local Parks Program has provided us with funding to create two new parks:

• this project on Otter Street, near the corner of Smith Street
• an expansion of Cambridge Street Reserve.

Our plans for Otter Street

In 2020 we asked for your ideas for Otter Street. Your feedback has informed a concept design that includes:

• more space to gather and relax
• places to enjoy the sun on cooler days, and shade on warmer days
• trees and grassy areas
• a bold, geometric artwork by acclaimed Australian artist and Kamilaroi man Reko Rennie.

We then shared a draft design for further feedback in 2021. You told us:

• There was overwhelming support for the proposed road closure to make more room for open space.
• You like the proposed lawn area and wanted to see it expanded.
• You had some concerns about litter and ongoing maintenance.
• You wanted less hard paving.
• You wanted more planting.

The main changes from the draft concept plan to the final concept plan are:

• Expansion of the park across the Right of Way on the northern side of Otter Street to create more lawn and reduce the amount of paving.
• A reduction of the number of terraces from four to three to provide larger, more useable lawn areas and eliminate one of the north/south paths, further reducing the amount of paving.
• Tree planting to be medium evergreen species

In addition to the new park, traffic improvement works will be undertaken at the intersection Otter and Bedford streets to create a more pedestrian friendly environment. Adjustments to the intersection of Otter and Wellington streets will also be made to improve access into and out of Otter Street for buses.

Read the consultation report for the draft concept plan.

Submissions on the road discontinuance

You were able to make a submission on the road discontinuance as part of the formal submission process.

Yarra Council heard these submissions before the decision was made to proceed with the project. Everyone who provided an email address with their submission was notified of the outcome.

Construction of a new park on Otter Street

Council approved the road discontinuation for the area between Smith Street and Bedford Street in November 2022.

The project was tendered and the award of the contract was approved at Council meeting on Tuesday 18 April 2023. Read the Council Meeting Minutes.

The construction of the new park and toilet was expected to be completed in early 2024.

Thanks to everyone who contributed your feedback on the proposed road discontinuance at Otter Street.

At the Council meeting in November 2022, Council approved the road discontinuation for the area between Smith Street and Bedford Street to expand the park and create more open space.

You were able to make a written submission on the proposed road closure before November 2022.