Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10

Asset managementParks Victoria manages over 25,000 assets. Assetson land that are managed by Parks Victoria as aCommittee of Management are recognised in thefinancial statements in this report. Assets managed byParks Victoria on behalf of the Crown are recognisedby DSE.Asset management is an ongoing challenge. Ageingland and marine infrastructure places significantdemands on financial and human resources. ParksVictoria continues to develop a more sustainableasset base by ensuring infrastructure is focused oncommunity need and visitor safety and by pursuingmaintenance and replacement funding strategies.Assets are monitored on a regular basis to ensure theyare safe. Asset maintenance is undertaken throughoutthe year, focusing on key tourism and recreation assetsto ensure visitor safety. Specialist assessments areundertaken on an as needs basis.Planning new urban parksParks Victoria made significant progress towardsestablishing three new parks in Melbourne’s fastgrowingnorth and west – Merri Creek Parklands,Werribee River Park and Toolern Creek Park. Masterplans were completed for the three parks. Constructionof stage one of the planned visitor facilities for theparks is also well underway. Once completed in late2010, the parks will be opened to the public.Parks Victoria continued to work with othermanagement agencies to establish the Barwon RiverParklands. Concept plans were developed for newvisitor facilities at Taits Point, Lake Connewarre StateGame Reserve. Construction of the new visitor facilitiesis due for completion in late 2010.Master planning for Cardinia Creek Parklands (northernsection), Devil Bend Park, Point Nepean National Parkand Frankston Reservoir Park progressed and workswill commence following completion of planning in2010-11.Linking People and SpacesLinking People and Spaces, originally released in 2002,is a strategy for Melbourne’s regional-scale, naturebasedopen space network. Eight years on, there is aneed to update the strategy. Linking People and Spaces2010 will provide a 20-year strategy for continuedgrowth and improvement of Melbourne’s open spacenetwork. Parks Victoria is leading an interagency teamthat includes DSE, Melbourne Water, Growth AreasAuthority, Municipal Association of Victoria and theDepartment of Planning and Community Developmentto update the strategy. A draft will be released forpublic comment in September 2010.Community gardens and dog-friendly parksMinister for Environment and Climate Change GavinJennings officially opened the Carome Homesteadand community garden in Mernda on 17 November2009. Parks Victoria and Mint Inc, the Committeeof Management for Carome Homestead, worked inpartnership to develop a community garden and a café/restaurant at the homestead.Parks Victoria also worked with the local community toset up gardens in the Dandenong Valley Parklands andBraeside Park. Community gardens at Cardinia CreekParklands and Werribee are well underway and will beopened in late 2010.Parks Victoria introduced dog-friendly areas at CardiniaCreek Parklands in February 2010. Dog-friendly areasare planned to be opened at Yarra Bend and Banksiaparks in early 2010-11.The Metropolitan Trail NetworkOver $2.1 million of trail improvements were deliveredduring 2009-10 through the Metropolitan Trail NetworkGrants program. The program provides grants to localgovernments to carry out improvements to the trailnetwork.Eight projects were completed during the year:❚ Planning of the Kororoit Creek Trail(City of Hobsons Bay)❚ Plenty River Trail from Partingtons Flat to the RingRoad (Banyule City Council)❚ Planning and design of the final linking trail fromthe Mullum Mullum Creek Trail linking Yarra ValleyParks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10 23