title: Macedon Ranges Open Space Strategy 2026 council: macedon-ranges state: vic category: strategy classification: MAJOR status: adopted last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:
- 17-december-2025-scheduled-council-meeting-agenda-attachments.pdf
- 17-december-2025-scheduled-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf
- 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf
- 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf
- 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf
- agenda-attachments-24-september-2025-council-meeting.pdf
- final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf
Macedon Ranges Open Space Strategy 2026
The Macedon Ranges Open Space Strategy 2026 is a ten-year framework for how Council plans, funds, designs, upgrades, acquires and potentially disposes of public open space across a shire that already manages more than 900 hectares of parks, waterways, recreation reserves and bushland conservation reserves. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.91) Its practical significance is not simply that it replaces the 2013 strategy, but that it converts population growth, township change, biodiversity expectations, Traditional Owner partnership obligations, public open space contributions and asset renewal pressure into a prioritised implementation program. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, p.9)
Council adopted the strategy on 25 March 2026, with amendments to the district/municipal hierarchy wording, township grouping for Woodend, selected mapping changes for Kyneton, Riddells Creek and Woodend, and an added reference to Hobbs Road Reserve, Bullengarook. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, pp.9-10) The adopted strategy therefore should be read as the March 2026 draft strategy plus those Council resolution amendments. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, pp.9-10)
Background
Council released the draft Open Space Strategy for consultation through the 24 September 2025 Council meeting attachments, where the draft was presented as replacing the 2013 strategy and guiding planning, delivery and management of open space over the next ten years. (Source: agenda-attachments-24-september-2025-council-meeting.pdf, pp.4-6) Phase 2 consultation then ran for 31 days from 4 October to 3 November 2025, using the YourSay platform, an online survey, a submission form, four farmers-market pop-ups, two online workshops, stakeholder interviews and internal Council working group review. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.6-8)
The December 2025 Council meeting noted the Phase 2 feedback and resolved that a report would return to the March 2026 meeting for adoption of the final draft strategy. (Source: 17-december-2025-scheduled-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf, p.14) The March 2026 officer report stated that the final draft had been amended after feedback from community members, agencies, Djaara and internal departments. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, pp.19-23)
The strategy sits within a wider policy and asset-management setting that includes Plan for Victoria, the Macedon Ranges Statement of Planning Policy, the Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme, Shaping the Ranges 2025-2035, the Reconciliation Plan 2025-2029, the Asset Plan 2025-2035, the Financial Plan 2025-2035, the Sport and Active Recreation Strategy 2018-2028, the Walking and Cycling Strategy 2014, the Biodiversity Strategy 2018, the Heritage Strategy 2024-2034, the Climate Emergency Plan 2023-2030, structure plans, environmental management plans and open space master plans. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.96)
Analysis
The Strategic Shift: From Quantity To Quality, Distribution And Governance
The core mechanism in the strategy is that Macedon Ranges is not starting from an overall shortage of open space land. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.97-113) Council owns and manages over 900 hectares of open space, and every listed major township has more than the common benchmark of 3-4 hectares per 1,000 people, even under a 2036 no-new-open-space scenario. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.97,108-111) The planning problem is therefore not simply “more parks”; it is the uneven relationship between growth, location, function, quality, access, maintenance cost and the ability of existing spaces to meet changing community needs. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.108-113)
This is clearest in the township ratios. Gisborne has 69.04 hectares of current open space excluding conservation areas, equating to 6.3 hectares per 1,000 people in 2021 and 4.4 hectares per 1,000 people by 2036 if no new open space is provided. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.110-111) By contrast, Malmsbury has 48.96 hectares and remains at 55.1 hectares per 1,000 people in 2036 under the same no-new-open-space scenario. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.110-111) This difference explains why the strategy focuses on growth townships and park quality rather than applying the same intervention level everywhere. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.93-94)
Population growth reinforces this priority setting. Macedon Ranges Shire is forecast to grow by 12,985 people between 2021 and 2036, a 25.17 per cent increase at an average annual change of 1.51 per cent. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.97) Gisborne, Kyneton, Romsey and Riddells Creek are expected to absorb 10,543 of those additional residents, or 81 per cent of total shire growth. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.97) The practical effect is that open space pressure is concentrated in selected townships, especially where new housing has smaller lots and less private outdoor space. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.93)
Classification And Service Standards As The Delivery Engine
The strategy creates a two-part classification system: open space function and open space hierarchy. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.105-107) Function categories include parks and gardens/social recreation, organised sport, conservation, linear, civic space, landscape amenity, drainage and wetlands, and special purpose land. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.105-106) Hierarchy categories distinguish district/municipal, community and local open spaces, with indicative sizes and access distances of over 5 hectares within 2 kilometres, 1-5 hectares within 1 kilometre, and 0.2-1 hectare within 400 metres respectively. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.107)
This framework matters because it gives Council a defensible way to decide what belongs in each park and what does not. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.111-113) A district/municipal conservation reserve is not expected to carry the same facilities as a district/municipal organised sport reserve, and a local social recreation park is not expected to carry the same amenity burden as a community park. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.112) This directly responds to recurring community disputes about whether specific sites should receive master plans, sporting upgrades, dog off-leash facilities, walking tracks, benches or conservation-focused treatment. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.166-173)
The strategy also imports Clause 56-style access benchmarks into its assessment approach: local parks within 400 metres safe walking distance of at least 95 per cent of dwellings, active open space of at least 8 hectares within 1 kilometre of 95 per cent of dwellings, and linear parks and trails within 1 kilometre of 95 per cent of dwellings. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.108) The strategy explicitly warns that these standards cannot be applied mechanically in established areas because quality, distribution, encumbrances, ownership and the presence of multiple small pocket parks affect actual service levels. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.108-112)
Growth Areas, Contributions And The Planning Scheme Lever
The strategy identifies six township growth settings that shape future open space demand: Gisborne/New Gisborne and the southern urban area, Kyneton south of the Campaspe River, Romsey southern urban area, Riddells Creek Amess Road PSP area and land south of the railway line, Woodend east of Old Lancefield Road inside the protected settlement boundary, and Lancefield land affected by Development Plan Overlay Schedule 24. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.102)
The main funding mechanism is the public open space contribution system. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.113) Clause 53.01 of the Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme currently requires a 5 per cent public open space contribution, which may be provided as land or an equivalent monetary contribution. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, p.24) The strategy states that some areas, such as Gisborne, may require more than 5 per cent to meet future needs and includes a high-priority action to investigate whether increasing the Clause 53.01 rate is justified and achievable through a planning scheme amendment. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.113,154-155)
This is one of the strategy’s most consequential statutory actions. If Council later justifies and implements a higher contribution rate in specific areas, new subdivisions could provide more land or money for open space acquisition and embellishment. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.113,154-155) If the rate remains at 5 per cent, growth-area delivery will rely more heavily on existing reserves, development contribution plans, in-kind works, general revenue, grants and project prioritisation. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.150-151)
The financial context shows why this matters. Council’s 2024-25 Annual Report listed the Public Open Space reserve closing balance at 3.873 million in 2025, after 1.125 million transferred in and 666,000 transferred out during the reporting period. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.736) It also listed Open Space Proceeds at 3.173 million in 2025. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.736) These reserves are material, but they are not a blank cheque, because the strategy’s implementation plan contains township upgrades, acquisition investigations, statutory reviews, maintenance standards, play space planning, connectivity work, water-sensitive design, Traditional Owner partnership actions and annual monitoring. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.150-160)
Township Implications
Gisborne and New Gisborne carry the largest growth-management burden. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.115-119) Gisborne is forecast to grow from 10,999 people in 2021 to 15,597 people in 2036, with growth through Willowbank Road, Ross Watt Road, New Gisborne and infill areas. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.115) The strategy’s high-priority Gisborne actions are to enhance the Stephens, Bunjil and Howey creek corridors and to develop a Gisborne town centre urban design framework that identifies civic open space and social gathering opportunities. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.117) New Gisborne actions focus on delivering open spaces through the Gisborne Futures Structure Plan and upgrading Zeal Street Reserve to local social recreation standards. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.119)
Kyneton is forecast to grow from 5,151 people in 2021 to 6,086 people in 2036, and its main strategy issue is not total open space quantity but better social recreation distribution, civic space and creek-trail connectivity. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.120-123) The strategy identifies medium-priority actions for Bluestone Rise Park, Gasworks Park, Kyneton Mechanics Reserve, Hurry Reserve, Post Office Creek linkages and future community-level open space south of the Campaspe River. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.122-123)
Romsey is forecast to grow from 4,935 people in 2021 to 6,042 people in 2036, and the strategy links open space delivery to the Romsey Structure Plan and the existing Five Mile Creek and Romsey Park Sports Precinct master plans. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.124-127) Its actions include planning open spaces in growth areas, investigating local social recreation functions at Regan Drive Reserve or Metcalfe Drive Reserve, pursuing Five Mile Creek and Pohlman Street linkages, investigating civic space and connecting Coleraine Drive Reserve to new southern open space. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.126-127)
Riddells Creek is the most sensitive township because its 2036 forecast of 4,467 people may be overtaken by the Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan, which is estimated to add 4,270 people by 2046. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.112,128) The strategy therefore requires a high-priority master plan for Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve to guide how Amess Road development contributions will be spent, and it includes monitoring for whether a future district/municipal-level open space will be needed as the town grows. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.130-131) It also identifies Barrm Birrm as a 119-hectare historic subdivision that cannot be developed for dwellings and is being progressively acquired through a gift-back program for a future public conservation reserve. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.128,131)
Woodend is forecast to grow from 4,471 people in 2021 to 5,254 people in 2036, and the strategy emphasises Five Mile Creek, social recreation shortages south of the railway line, possible future residential land east of Old Lancefield Road, and the role of Woodend Racecourse Reserve. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.132-135) Council’s adoption resolution amended Woodend’s grouping in Table 3 so it sits with Lancefield and Riddells Creek in the 2,000-6,000 township size category. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, p.9)
Lancefield is forecast to grow from 1,691 people in 2021 to 2,106 people in 2036, and its strategy issues are governance of the state-owned Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve, civic space, High Street Reserve and Price Court Reserve viability. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.136-138) Malmsbury is smaller, with a 2021 population of about 752, and its only listed township action is to investigate better links from residential areas into the open space network. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.139-141) Macedon and Mount Macedon are forecast to grow only slightly from 1,275 people in 2021 to 1,309 people in 2036, but Tony Clarke Reserve became a major consultation issue because residents and sporting users sought higher priority and upgraded facilities. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.142-144; Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.23-25)
Consultation Signals And Contested Issues
The strategy received narrow majority support rather than broad consensus. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.18-30) The Phase 2 survey received 51 responses, with 53 per cent supportive or strongly supportive, 33 per cent neutral and 14 per cent opposed or strongly opposed. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.20,29-30) The raw December survey export recorded the same 51 contributors and 51 contributions. (Source: 17-december-2025-scheduled-council-meeting-agenda-attachments.pdf, p.1573)
The strongest implementation preference was movement and connectivity, selected by 73 per cent of survey participants. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.25-26) Nature, water and tree canopy followed at 63 per cent, and park quality, play and service standards followed at 59 per cent. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.25-26) This indicates that the community placed higher immediate weight on visible network improvements than on internal capability, data and delivery readiness, which was selected by 24 per cent. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.26)
There were 30 written submissions on the draft strategy. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.32) Major contested issues included Traditional Owner engagement, conservation values and PCRZ classification, missing reserves, township-specific upgrades, population assumptions, implementation funding and governance. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.18-19,32-35) DJAARA raised a procedural concern that the three Traditional Owner Corporations whose Country intersects with the shire had not been directly engaged in developing the strategy, and requested a formal, resourced partnership process before finalisation. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.19,32)
Council’s response was to strengthen Traditional Owner partnership content, add shire-wide actions for engagement and cultural-practice processes, and amend conservation and drainage/wetlands definitions to recognise Traditional Owner biocultural values, cultural practice, healing and remediation. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.181-185) Council did not support revising the strategy vision through a fuller Traditional Owner participation process before adoption, because officers considered the project timeline did not allow for the requested process. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.183) This leaves a governance dependency: implementation must now do some of the partnership work that ideally would have shaped the strategy earlier. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.159-160,181-185)
Open Space As An Asset And Maintenance Liability
The Asset Plan context shows that open space decisions create long-term operating obligations, not only capital projects. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, pp.908-911) Open space and recreation assets had an estimated replacement value of about 53.0 million as at 30 June 2024, excluding trees and landscaping assets. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.908) The asset set included 54 barbeques valued at 683,278, play equipment at 76 sites valued at 5.632 million, and 168 sportsgrounds valued at 46.726 million. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.908)
The Asset Plan states that the current open space asset portfolio is mostly in very good to fair condition, but also says equity of access to quality facilities may be imbalanced across the shire. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.909) It identifies higher-density living, rural population growth, township housing development and increased open space use as drivers that may require both additional open space provision and enhanced functionality of existing spaces. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.910) This supports the strategy’s emphasis on project scoring, maintenance service levels, asset registers and annual monitoring. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.152-157)
Current Status
Council adopted the Open Space Strategy 2026 on 25 March 2026 and resolved that it replaces the Open Space Strategy 2013. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, pp.9-10) The March officer report stated that, after adoption, the document would progress to graphic design. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, p.20) No further consultation on the strategy itself was required if the officer recommendation was carried, although consultation, engagement and collaboration will be needed to implement specific actions. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, p.23)
Dependencies
- Blocks: The strategy blocks, or at least conditions, future decisions on open space contribution policy, open space land disposal, acquisition priorities, park upgrade sequencing, open space project scoring, maintenance service levels and township-specific implementation priorities. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.147-160)
- Blocked by: Delivery is constrained by Council budgets, statutory reserves, developer contributions, development timing, grant availability, staff capacity, agency partnerships and Traditional Owner engagement resourcing. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.150-160)
- Informed by: The strategy was informed by Phase 1 engagement in 2021-2022, the 27-member Community Assembly in 2022, consultant review of quantity and quality in 2023-2024, internal Council consultation in 2024-2025 and public consultation in October-November 2025. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.94-95)
- Implements: The strategy implements Council Plan year-one direction to deliver a new Open Space Strategy for planning and provision of open space over the next ten years. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.451)
- Conflicts with: The strategy creates potential tension with requests to use public open space for non-open-space community facilities, demonstrated by the Riddells Creek Men’s Shed issue, where Council was advised that a Men’s Shed use within Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve was prohibited under the Public Park and Recreation Zone because the use was not by or on behalf of Council. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, pp.208-210)
Cross-Jurisdictional Links
The strategy requires coordination with state agencies and authorities because open space functions overlap with transport, water, catchments, bushfire, biodiversity and land management. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, pp.23-25) Agency feedback was received from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Department of Transport and Planning, Greater Western Water, North Central Catchment Management Authority and Country Fire Authority. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, p.23)
Greater Western Water supported the strategy and sought stormwater partnership opportunities for alternative irrigation water sources and consultation during new open space planning so water, sewer and recycled water assets can be assessed in advance. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.190) DTP requested alignment with Plan for Victoria and noted that the Guide for Open Space Strategies had been released in October 2025, but officers did not change the draft on that point because most strategy scoping and project work had already been completed. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.186-187)
Traditional Owner links are cross-boundary because Macedon Ranges includes Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, and the implementation plan includes high-priority engagement with all Traditional Owner groups to develop involvement in strategy implementation. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.101-102,159-160)
Gaps in This Analysis
The extracted corpus contains the draft strategy, consultation report, officer responses, Council agendas and Council minutes, but it does not contain the full Background Report referred to by the strategy. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.91) That missing Background Report limits independent verification of the open space quantity and quality assessment, park performance assessments and township-specific analysis behind the recommendations. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, p.91)
The corpus also does not include the final graphically designed post-adoption strategy incorporating the six Council amendments from 25 March 2026. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, pp.9-10) This page therefore relies on the March 2026 attachment text plus the confirmed Council resolution amendments. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, pp.9-10)
Several implementation dependencies are named but not fully evidenced in the source set, including the Gisborne Development Contributions Plan, Gisborne Futures Structure Plan, Romsey Structure Plan, Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan, individual environmental management plans, individual reserve master plans, the forthcoming Play Space Strategy and the future review of the Sport and Active Recreation Strategy. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.96,117,119,126,130,152-157) Those documents would be needed to quantify project costs, land-take, contribution revenue, delivery timing and site-by-site design implications. (Source: 25-march-2026-council-meeting-agenda-attachments-updated-version.pdf, pp.150-160)