By Mikayla van Loon
The final redevelopment stages of Mount Evelyn’s Morrison Reserve are inching closer with a contractor appointed to renew the playspace.
Warrandale Industries’ tender of $1.1 million was approved by Yarra Ranges councillors on Tuesday 12 March with works expected to get underway in April.
The revitalised playspace will feature intergenerational play, new paths, landscaping, a new public toilet and all-abilities access, with scope for a future youth precinct and an urban bike park project.
Having worked on revitalising this reserve since he started at the council decades ago, councillor Tim Heenan said this upgrade to the playspace will be well received by the community.
“The families of Mount Evelyn have been waiting for this little egg to emerge for as long as I’ve been on council,” he said.
“It’s going to be a great precinct in the future councillors and this is a step in the right direction and I just can’t believe I’m sitting up here after so long.”
First starting the process of the Morrison Reserve renewal as a candidate for the third time in 2005, Cr Heenan said it began with fixing what was “a rabbit track” for athletics.
“They now have a fantastic facility together with the upgrade of the two soccer grounds,” he said.
“Now we’ve come to the playspace. This is a fantastic, good news story, councillors, with a lot of money attached to it. I can assure you Mount Evelyn families have been waiting a long time. It’ll take on lots of different aspects and this is just part of it.”
Cr Johanna Skelton seconded the motion and said it was nice to see the input of the community being listened to, ensuring the elements they loved of the old playground remained as part of the new design.
“[It’s] kept that charm and the farm theme and the fountain but just trying to make them more user friendly and more beloved with the toilet refurb and more trees and seating and shade areas and of course a refresh of the playground itself,” she said.
Cr Len Cox said having watched the development of Morrison Reserve over his years serving on the council as well, this “last little bit is the icing on the cake”.
The old playground, Cr Heenan said, will hopefully be repurposed by Rotary and transported overseas to a disadvantaged community to ensure it has another life providing joy to children elsewhere.
Councillors approved the motion unanimously.
