Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
< PreviousThe Site Prior to colonisation, the Bayside area was part of a coastal marsh ecosystem of meandering waterways, billabongs and undulating topography. It was, and still is, land of the Boonwurrung people. The history of the Boonwurrung people dates back thousands of years. This strong underlying indigenous history, that has been both diverse and complex, has often been hidden, and for many, unknown. Colonisation of Melbourne saw the continual urbanisation and clearing of land. As the city developed, these areas of ecological value continued to diminish, making way for urban infrastructure and housing. The Reserve has been extensively modified through clearing of remnant vegetation and alterations to the waterway and topography. While this is the case, small remnants of three Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) are found onsite – Tall Marsh (EVC 821), Aquatic Herbland (EVC 653) and Grassy Woodland (EVC 175). Situated in a highly urban context between Port Phillip Bay and Nepean Highway, Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve is Crown Land and from 1910 until recent years was a 9-hole golf course. The Reserve is part of the larger Elsternwick Park which, as a municipal/regional open space, is a major destination that should be catering to local residents, the broader community and tourists, and for a diverse range of interests. Currently the Reserve is a vast open space and functioning flood retention basin with long vistas and shimmering grasslands. Its character has been shaped by its history, in particular its past life as a golf course. The golf course saw the planting of many native and exotic trees in defined lines across the Reserve – many of these are now large, impressive specimens that provide crucial habitat, high value flora, as well as shade and amenity value. -02- GEELONGBAYSIDE PORT PHILLIP BAY FRANKSTON LILYDALE YARRA RANGES CRAIGIEBURN WERRIBEE MELBOURNE CBD Greater Metropolitan Melbourne Bayside City Council Built Environment Forests Water course Water bodies 0510 kmBisecting the Reserve is Elster Creek, which is the only remaining significant semi-natural waterway within Bayside. While Elster Creek is highly modified and most of it is now piped underground, with only approximately five kilometres of its lower reaches open, the portion within the Reserve is one of the only areas that is not concreted and maintains a more naturalistic character – a unique landscape within the Bayside urban fabric. As an urban waterway with a large catchment, the creek is prone to flooding downstream and is of poor ecological and water health. The low water quality of the creek discharges into Port Phillip Bay in Elwood, just downstream of the Reserve. The Project Brief Declining golf patronage and profitability along with a golf course in poor repair were the impetuses for Bayside City Council and the broader community to consider the future of the facility and the role it should play in the open space fabric of Bayside. This was resolved with the Council decision to create the Reserve. Spanning over a number of years, a significant amount of work was undertaken by Council and the community – including site investigations and extensive stakeholder and community engagement. Through this process a shared future vision for the Reserve was established which will see the transformation of this passive recreation space into a truly exceptional wetland and nature reserve, “this vision is not one of an ordinary suburban park. Rather it is of something stunning, unique and extraordinary.” [Elsternwick Park North Park Development - Proposed Principles and priorities- Elsternwick Park Association, September 2018]. The Reserve will be a unique open space diversifying and complementing the offer of the broader Elsternwick Park.02550200m NEPEAN HWY ELSTERNWICK STATION 0.5KM1.0KM LGA BOUNDARY ELSTERNWICK ELWOOD BRIGHTON ELWOOD CANAL SITE HEAD ST NEW ST ST KILDA ST ORMOND ESPLANADE ORMOND RD Site extent LGA Boundary Train Station Train Line Water Parks & Open Space Special Building Overlay (Flooding) Significant Vegetation Commercial Land use SchoolsThe brief clearly articulates the goals and targets of the Reserve, both qualitatively and quantitatively, arranged under four key layers of thinking: Environment “Given the unique nature of the waterway in the municipality and consequently the only location where some habitats will be able to be found, the design goal is to maximise the aquatic environment within the reserve. The target is to achieve between 5.0 and 7.0 hectares of aquatic environment with the balance being terrestrial and hard infrastructure.” Community Amenity “The design goal is to integrate the separate requirements in a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing manner.” Flood Mitigation “Qualitatively, the design goal is to maximise the flood mitigation while showing consideration for the other reserve objectives. Quantitatively the target range is between 50,000m3 and 65,000m3.” Water Quality. “Qualitatively, the design goal is to maximise the water quality improvement, which in turn means maximising the wetland footprint. Quantitatively the target range is the removal of between 1,400 and 2,000 kg of nitrogen per annum.” These four layers each have their own ambitious goals and targets – the masterplan has critically assessed the goals and targets to resolve a functional and spatial arrangement to best address all four within the site, around its constraints, through innovative and carefully considered design. Existing Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve wetland1415 The Masterplan Chapter 2Design Vision “A beautifully designed and maintained native parkland, wetland and urban forest. A place that echoes the beauty of the land before the invasion of concrete and asphalt. A place that provides refuge and tranquillity for people and wildlife ...” “This vision is not one of an ordinary suburban park. Rather it is of something stunning, unique and extraordinary.” Elsternwick Park North Park Development - Proposed Principles and priorities- Elsternwick Park Association, September 201817 -01- The Design Response As curators of the masterplan, our role is to understand the brief and supporting documents such as the Principles and Priorities document prepared by the Elsternwick Park Association, Council Strategies and stakeholder strategies such as Melbourne Water’s Healthy Waterway Strategy, understand the site at a macro and micro scale, its constraints and opportunities – then the challenge is to find a design that balances these shaping factors, and at times conflicting interests, in an cohesive way. Prior to McGregor Coxall’s engagement, an extensive amount of work was undertaken by Council and community. This deep and profound work set a very strong environmental agenda – and it is the driving force behind the design. Key Drivers In understanding this environmental agenda, the current age of climate crisis, and as custodians of the Reserve, it is our fundamental responsibility to ensure we are making a true contribution to climate action. For this we have identified two key drivers that underpin this masterplan. Ecology and Connection. Ecology First and foremost, the Reserve must repair ecologies through the establishment of robust and thriving habitat that celebrates the amazing biodiversity of our natural environment. To repair also means mitigating the impact we have on the natural environment with the cleansing of water, mitigation of floods, and the reuse of water. Connection The repair of ecologies will only be sustained and meaningful when the community understands and is engaged. We need to ensure that the Reserve provides spaces for people to enjoy and appreciate the inherent beauty of nature. It also must invoke conversation, questioning and intrigue so that education and appreciation extends beyond the site’s boundary, continuing the conversation in people’s homes and communities. To change something inside someone so they demand change and betterment of our relationship with ecologies beyond the site’s boundaries of the Reserve. For this we must leave a lasting impression on visitors through subtle ways to engage people, hold their attention, give them opportunities to stop, pause, think and question. The design must leverage off the site’s location and urban context, utilising juxtaposition to convey the message and demand reflection over human impacts on the natural world. Through engagement on varying levels and across the varying landscapes within the Reserve, the site must invoke a Caring for Country philosophy in visitors to inspire stewardship of both the Reserve and of our wider environment for future generations.Next >