By Gabriella Payne
Dandenong residents and passers-by will have more room to stretch their legs and soak up the outdoors as a vacant block of land has been transformed by the council into a new open space for one and all to enjoy.
The Greater Dandenong City Council purchased the large block of land, located at 86-88 Clow Street, in late September 2020 and were excited to have the opportunity to give something back to the community after a tough year.
The secluded parkland area will provide locals with a space in which to exercise, relax and enjoy nature, with peaceful gardens and some large established trees already onsite.
Mayor Angela Long officially opened the parkland at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday 7 December, where she paid her respects to the traditional owners of the land and said it was a “great pleasure” to “open this beautiful space”.
When this site became available for purchase, mayor Long said it was a rare opportunity and one that was too good to be missed.
“The value and health benefits of public open space is vital for our community, so when this particular site came onto the market it was a great opportunity to purchase an additional high-quality, open space in an established neighbourhood – something that does not come along very often these days,” Cr Long said.
The new Clow Street parkland adds a welcome spot of greenery to the urban area, whilst being within walking distance to everything that Dandenong has to offer.
“This is a special and somewhat secluded parkland setting reminiscent of a typical mid 1940’s landscape setting,” Cr Long said.
“It has large established European trees providing a fantastic backdrop, creating a tranquil garden space in an established urban setting, within close proximity to Dandenong’s CBD.”
The space is now officially open for public use, but mayor Long added that some further improvements were planned for the site in the near future.
“Council officers will be developing a concept plan for the site incorporating all existing trees and inherent landscape features of the site whilst improving public access,” Cr Long said.
Mayor Long added the future works “were not intended to alter the site much at all”, but rather enhance the park and make it more accessible for people of all abilities.
“The planned improvements include furniture and a walking path to enable the site to be used for the intended purpose of providing high quality public open space,” she said.
Mayor Long said with summer on the way and Covid restrictions easing, she was excited to see the parkland go to good use, stating the space would give “opportunities to everyone to get more active”.
“The wide open spaces conjure up images of cricket matches and local kids kicking around a football or soccer ball. Families and other groups can come here to picnic and spend time together. I look forward to seeing the diverse range of people who will enjoy this space,” she said.
