On Friday October 7th VCAT gave Maroondah council permission to construct a multi-level car park on the site at 127b Canterbury Road, Heathmont. The proposed car park building is an imposing, monolithic structure that will require the removal of several mature trees and will cover 86% of the green space available on the site. With 278 car parking spaces proposed, the car park will bring in additional traffic to Heathmont village, causing congestion and safety issues for pedestrians and other drivers.

We the residents request that Maroondah council abandon the plans to build a multi-level car park, and instead retain this site as green space for use by the Heathmont community. The site currently connects two nature reserves in Heathmont that sustain significant biodiversity and is already used by the community for recreation and relaxation.

As Heathmont prepared the celebrate its centenary in 2023, we propose the development of a ‘Centenary Village Green’, a thoughtfully landscaped garden that can be enjoyed by all the residents of Heathmont and beyond. Such a parkland would celebrate Heathmont’s heritage, add significantly to the visual landscape, and create a mutual place of gathering and social connection for our village, enhancing our village atmosphere.

A preliminary design has been proposed by Justin Staggard, a landscape architect who was a pupil at Ringwood College. Justin has designed a garden that is sympathetic to the character of Heathmont. Some of the features include: a picnic area, bicycle rest area, an interactive play space for children, and a centenary ‘walk in the park’ with named pavers.

The site at 127b Canterbury Road, right in the heart of our village, is the perfect site for a Centenary Village Green. Heathmont does not need a multi-level car park. We want our green spaces retained for the enjoyment by all residents, not destroyed by car parks.