Public open space is all the publicly owned land that is primarily set aside for outdoor recreation, passive outdoor enjoyment and nature conservation and is generally zoned for this purpose. This includes public reserves, parks, gardens, waterways and civic squares/plazas that are outdoors and open to the sky. Council manages the public open space network for these purposes.

Other public outdoor spaces that complement the public open space network, but are not considered part of the network, include streetscapes, public school grounds and railway reserves.

Public open space plays an important role in the health and wellbeing of our community and supports biodiversity and a healthy environment. We need to holistically and strategically plan for the protection, growth, improvement and management of the public open space network in our municipality. The Whitehorse Open Space Strategy 2024 will guide the future provision, design and management of public open space over the next 15 years.

Just over 11% of Whitehorse is public open space including the parks, gardens, waterways, bushland reserves, public golf courses and the Melbourne Water retarding basins. The draft strategy:

• Analyses our existing public open space network and what the community value about it.

• Identifies where new public open space is needed over the next 15 years, taking into account factors such as forecast population growth, changes in urban densities, and areas where there is not enough existing open space.

• Identifies and prioritises where expansion to the size of existing parks and reserves is needed, including improving visibility and public access.

• Identifies and prioritises where upgrades to the existing public open space network are needed. These are based on what the community told us they need in the first round of consultation along with the forecast growth and change over the next 15 years, environmental and cultural values, and changes in recreational trends and use of open space, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, when the use of public open space increased including for social gatherings.

• Provides guideline for the future design and management of public open space to better meet Council's sustainability and biodiversity goals.

By implementing our draft strategy, it would benefit the community in a number of ways, including:

• Provide more public open space: With significant population growth forecast, the draft strategy provides direction about what type and where new public open space is needed, particularly in the context of where change is forecast and increased urban densities.

• Enhanced social and recreational opportunities: In response to our community’s increased expectations for open spaces, the draft strategy proposes more areas to socialise, exercise, enjoy nature, and relax, all within easy walking distance from homes and workplaces.

• Increased diversity of facilities: The draft strategy design guidelines support increasing the diversity of facilities in public open space to make them more appealing and accessible to everyone.

• Traditional Owner involvement: The draft strategy encourages Council to work with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to establish a preferred future framework for the meaningful management and interpretation of connection to Country.

• Improved community health and wellbeing: The draft strategy design guidelines maximise greening in new public open space designs and upgrades to existing open space. This includes protecting and planting large broad spreading canopy trees, including garden beds and grassing where possible to maximise moisture absorbing surfaces to assist with urban cooling. This is particularly important in medium and higher density precincts where communities have limited or no access to private gardens. Research confirms there are demonstrated community health and wellbeing benefits associated with having easy access to green open space nearby.

• Mitigating urban heat island effect: Implementing the draft strategy including providing the new types of public open space in the locations shown in the strategy and designing them to maximise their greening and cooling qualities will contribute to a well distributed green public open space network that will assist with mitigating urban heat island effect, particularly in the medium and high density precincts.

• Improved biodiversity: Implementing the draft strategy will result in more green public open space, protecting and improving natural areas including remnant vegetation along the waterways and in the bushland reserves.

• Reduced user conflicts: The design guidelines and individual precinct recommendations aim to increase the quantity and improve the quality of public open space to reduce conflicts between different users of open spaces, such as dog walkers and those who prefer dog-free areas, as well as between organised sports and informal recreational activities.

• Funding: The actions in the draft strategy are funded by a combination of Council revenue including property rates and fees, grants from agencies in the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments, and public open space contributions paid (with some exemptions) when land and buildings are subdivided. The public open space contributions are paid by developers and not by the general community. The draft strategy reviews the current 4 percent (averaged) municipal public open space contribution rate, which is based on the 2007 strategy projects and the forecast population change at that time. Significant change has taken place since 2007 as recognised in this draft strategy and this will influence the open space planning for the next 15-year period. An updated municipal public open space contribution rate, based on the analysis, conclusions and recommendations in this strategy, will be in the order of 7 percent with the exception of the Box Hill precinct and three major strategic development sites which have separate arrangements.

The draft strategy includes recommendations on the priority of proposed actions. The exact timing each action will be implemented is subject to funding allocation for each project in Council's annual budget which is presented to the community for feedback prior to adoption each financial year.

Purchasing/sourcing of land for new public open space, planning and/or detailed design for each project will also include further engagement with the community and key stakeholders.