PLEASE SHARE THIS PETITION AND IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE ADULT LIVING IN YOUR HOME GET EVERY ADULT TO SIGN IT.

Hello NWN Residents,

We believe it’s time to upgrade Ackland Park in Narre Warren North.

While we need our open space, this large green area has a lot of potential and is mostly wasted. The park itself hasn’t been updated in over a decade. With the development of the surrounding areas, there are now many young families with children of various ages residing in the community.

Additionally, the park attracts families from other areas, often using the park and bike track after a visit to The Rise Pizzeria or Lysterfield Lake. The park and in particular, its recreational facilities, are no longer fit for purpose and have been outgrown. It would be great to see the park improved to include more activities that a wider range of families could enjoy.

There are several issues with the existing park area:

- The huge grass area is mostly unusable due to the terrible drainage- it turns into a swamp when it rains and then rarely gets mowed due to limited access for machinery. We know Council is investigating the drainage issues, some raingardens would improve the amenity of the park.

- The playground is small, outdated and only caters to very young children. Comparative to other playgrounds in Casey, it doesn’t offer the same level of play experience that it should for the usage it gets.

- The bike track is much loved and gets significant use, however it could do with a surface treatment to reinstate it to its previous condition. It also suffers from drainage issues when it rains.

There are many options that could improve this area, make it more inclusive for variety of age groups. The key initiatives proposed by the residents of Narre Warren North include:

- A larger and more inclusive playground with shade and play equipment more befitting of the current play experience expected at a destination park. The playground itself was constructed in 2012 and with playgrounds expected to be upgraded every 15 years, it is time for an upgrade.

- A concrete half-court basketball/ multi-use court with a rebound wall. There is a pathway link that ends abruptly on the southern side of the park that would be well suited for the basketball court, and distances to nearby properties are sufficient that it wouldn’t create noise pollution.

- The rebound wall could feature cricket stumps to pay homage to the park’s history, former land owner Henry (Harry) Ackland was the Captain of Kalora Park Cricket Club and their best batsman for many years.

- Improved bike track/ pump track – a surface treatment would be great to renew the track, but newer facilities are now expanding to also cater for skateboards and scooters.

We understand Council has limited resources, however, we could see the facilities above being funded by developer contributions that would not impact Council rates funds. In addition, there is scope to stage further upgrades in the future, potentially including:

- Rotunda/ undercover seating area.

- ‘Senior play’ experience i.e. outdoor exercise stations/ circuit path

- BBQ facilities

- Drinking taps.

We’re putting together a petition for submission to the Casey Council and require names from our local community to help drive the Council to complete this park upgrade.

If you agree it’s time for an improvement to Ackland Park, please join other residents and fill in the below form to help show your support.

We live in a vibrant family orientated community and believe all local families deserve, and would benefit from, an improved green space for all to enjoy.

PLEASE SHARE THIS PETITION AND IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE ADULT LIVING IN YOUR HOME GET EVERY ADULT TO SIGN IT.