Grange Planning Brain

title: Active Open Space Strategy and Beveridge Central Active Open Space Master Plan council: mitchell state: vic category: strategy classification: MAJOR status: in-progress last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:

  • beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf
  • web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engaging-mitchell.txt
  • web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engagingmitchell-engagingmitchell.txt
  • web-research-L1-aos-final-study-report-may2025-mitchell-council.txt
  • web-research-L1-aos-masterplan-final-council-mitchellshire.txt
  • web-research-L1-beveridge-active-open-space-drainage-council.txt

Active Open Space Strategy and Beveridge Central Active Open Space Master Plan

The Beveridge Central Active Open Space Master Plan turns a 6.79 hectare PSP sports-reserve allocation into a staged, costed district sports facility with a constrained developable area of 6.47 hectares after Patterson Road and Lithgow Street road-reserve requirements are removed (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.2; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.15). Its planning significance is that it converts growth-area open-space land from a general PSP reservation into a $34.79 million infrastructure program, with the first stage intended to address Beveridge’s present absence of sports fields while allowing later expansion into high-use soccer, cricket, small-sided soccer, play, social, and walking infrastructure (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.10; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.31).

Background

Mitchell Shire is forecast to reach more than 221,000 people by 2046, and Beveridge is forecast to grow from 4,243 people in 2021 to 112,187 people in 2046, a 2,545% increase over 25 years (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.10; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.11). The practical planning problem is simple: a town moving from a small settlement into Mitchell Shire’s largest population centre cannot rely on two tennis courts with a netball overlay and an adjoining 18-hole golf course as its public sporting base (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.2; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.10).

The Beveridge Central PSP set aside sports reserve SR01 at 6.79 hectares and originally showed three soccer pitches, eight tennis courts, a shared pavilion, a play space, and car parking (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.12). Council subsequently purchased the three parcels forming the site, being 34 Lithgow Street, 72 Lithgow Street, and 86 Patterson Road, with parcel areas of 2.29 hectares, 2.33 hectares, and 2.48 hectares respectively (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.15). The land sits in the Urban Growth Zone Schedule 5 and is affected by Infrastructure Contributions Overlay Schedule 2 under the Mitchell Planning Scheme, meaning the site is embedded in the Beveridge Central growth-area planning framework rather than operating as an isolated recreation project (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.15).

The master plan process began in March 2024 and was structured around background review, site assessment, demographic analysis, Council staff engagement, high-performance partner liaison, small-sided football facility research, draft master planning, public exhibition, feedback review, and final reporting for Council adoption (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.10). A draft master plan was placed on public exhibition from 21 February to 24 March 2025, and the engagement page recorded Council consideration of the final master plan as the then-current stage with an estimated May 2025 timing (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.24; Source: web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engagingmitchell-engagingmitchell.txt).

Analysis

Growth-Area Demand and Facility Logic

The facility mix is driven by a mismatch between projected population and existing sports infrastructure. Beveridge had an estimated 2024 population of 9,120 people and no sports fields, while the needs assessment estimated 639 cricket participants and 1,322 soccer participants using Victorian AusPlay participation rates (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.2; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22). Translating participation into facility demand, the report estimates current demand equivalent to 6 cricket ovals and 11 soccer pitches, based on 15 players per team, 6-7 teams per cricket oval, and 7-8 teams per soccer pitch (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).

The master plan does not attempt to meet that whole demand on one 6.47 hectare developable site. Instead, it assigns Beveridge Central a mixed role: one enclosed main soccer pitch, two community soccer pitches overlaid with a cricket oval, four cricket practice nets, four synthetic small-sided soccer pitches, a community facility, a district play space, car parking, paths, tree planting, and landscaping (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.10; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23). This means the reserve is designed as the first major active open-space response in Beveridge Central, while future tennis and additional cricket provision is pushed into the wider Beveridge and Lockerbie growth-area network (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).

The key strategic shift from the PSP concept is the removal of tennis from this site and the substitution of small-sided soccer infrastructure. The report states that tennis was initially identified in the Beveridge Central PSP, but small-sided soccer pitches were preferred after Council began working with a high-performance sports partner and after the Draft Open Space Strategy 2024 nominated three rectangular pitches and one overlaid oval for the site (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.3; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22). The effect is that Beveridge Central becomes more soccer-weighted than the original PSP concept, while tennis is redistributed to nearby Lockerbie, Lockerbie North, Beveridge North West, Beveridge North East, and Donnybrook-Woodstock growth-area open spaces (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).

Land Budget, Road Reservation and Physical Constraints

The headline PSP reservation of 6.79 hectares overstates the usable sports-and-recreation area because 0.32 hectares is required for the future duplication of Patterson Road and the signalisation of the Patterson Road and Lithgow Street intersection (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.2; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.15). This reduces the effective developable area to 6.47 hectares, meaning approximately 4.7% of the reserved land is removed before sports layouts, buildings, car parking, drainage, and landscaping are arranged (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.2; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.15).

The site is not a flat blank field. It falls 6.4 metres from the north-west corner to the south-east corner, which averages approximately 1:60 and requires significant earthworks and retaining walls to create compliant playing surfaces (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.2; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.16; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20). The mechanism is important: soccer and cricket surfaces need relatively controlled grades, so the landform forces the project to spend money on cut, fill, retaining walls, terraced seating, and accessible path gradients before the sporting use itself can function properly (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.26; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.33).

Subsurface conditions further shape the layout. A geophysical investigation found bedrock in the western section predominantly within the top half metre, while bedrock in the eastern section was generally deeper than 2 metres (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.17). The master plan responds by locating the car park and synthetic small-sided pitches in the north-western area because those assets require less excavation than natural turf sports fields with sub-surface irrigation and drainage (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.33). The deeper-bedrock eastern area is more suitable for the main soccer pitch and a centrally located community facility, but that same eastern area contains all 18 High Retention Value trees (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.19; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23).

The tree-retention outcome is therefore a constrained balancing exercise rather than a simple landscaping choice. The site contains 86 trees plus 21 street trees, including 18 High Retention Value trees, 32 Moderate Retention Value trees, and 36 Low Retention Value trees (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.19). The master plan shows all 21 street trees retained, possible retention of up to 6 High Retention Value trees and 16 Moderate Retention Value trees, and removal of most boundary hedge planting because it encroaches at least 2 metres into the site and would consume a significant area of usable open space if retained (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23). This is a direct example of growth-area open-space design trading off tree retention, sports compliance, and usable land area inside a fixed reservation (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23).

Drainage, Access and Servicing Dependencies

Drainage is a delivery dependency because Beveridge has historic flooding issues associated with incomplete downstream assets, and the master plan requires on-site detention to limit flows to adjoining properties (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20). The required storage volume is identified as 180 cubic metres, which can be delivered through underground storage or an above-ground retarding basin (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20). The master plan includes an ephemeral wetland in the south-east corner and identifies the next design phase as requiring a hydrological and drainage plan (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30).

Vehicle access is constrained by the future road hierarchy. Patterson Road is identified as a future four-lane arterial and unsuitable for a conventional reserve entrance, while Melaleuca Boulevard is unsuitable because it has no direct connection to a collector road (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20). The resulting access model uses left-in/left-out entrances from Lithgow Street and Patterson Road, with three passenger drop-off/pick-up zones to manage peak training and event movements (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.24; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.25).

The car-parking provision is larger than a standard sports reserve of this size because the reserve is intended to absorb small-sided soccer patronage and larger event activity. The report states that a typical sports reserve of this size would have 100 to 130 spaces, but the master plan provides approximately 200 spaces and still requires a separate car-parking plan for larger events using parking outside the reserve (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.24). This indicates that the reserve’s event function is partly dependent on surrounding street and off-site parking management, not only on the internal car park (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.24).

Reticulated potable water, recycled water, fire service, sewer, electricity, and telecommunications are all addressed at concept level, but some require authority works or upgrades. Yarra Valley Water is the local utility, the area has reticulated potable and recycled water, a 100 millimetre recycled-water connection is identified at the south-west corner, and a 150 millimetre potable-water connection can service the fire hydrant system (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.18). Sewer connection is likely to require Yarra Valley Water to extend a sewer main across Patterson Road to the west site boundary, and the existing electrical supply will likely need upgrading to service the developed reserve (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.18; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20). NBN capacity is described as sufficient, with existing assets on Melaleuca Boulevard and the northern side of Lithgow Street (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20).

Cost Structure and Staging

The master plan is a large municipal infrastructure commitment. The total estimated cost for full implementation is 34.79 million excluding GST, split into Stage A at 18.85 million and Stage B at $15.94 million (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.31). The cost estimates include 10% design and construction contingencies, 10% professional fees, 1% permits and authority fees, and escalation to July 2025, but exclude GST and contaminated soil removal if encountered (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29). Harlock Consulting separately notes that escalation beyond July 2025, land acquisition costs, gas supply to the site, and contaminated soil removal are excluded, and recommends budgeting 4% per annum for cost escalation if construction commencement is delayed (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.46).

The cost concentration is heavily weighted toward the pavilion and core sports infrastructure. The shared-use two-storey pavilion is estimated at 14.715 million across Stage A and Stage B, making it approximately 42% of the total 34.79 million cost (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.31). The car park is estimated at 2.23 million, the main soccer pitch with hybrid turf and 500 lux lighting at 2.405 million, the two community soccer pitches with cricket overlay at 2.865 million, and the four synthetic small-sided pitches at 2.65 million (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30). The district play space with BBQ, picnic tables, and shelter is estimated at 1.025 million, while service connections are allowed at 1.255 million (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.31).

Stage A is designed to make the reserve operational for community soccer, cricket, some high-performance soccer activity, and play-space use, while Stage B is subject to funding availability, Council priorities, stakeholder priorities, and broader community need (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29). This staging matters because the reserve can provide a meaningful first response to field shortage before every element is delivered, but the full civic, event, small-sided soccer, and pavilion program depends on later funding decisions (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30).

The cost estimate also has a sensitivity point around the main pitch surface. Harlock Consulting’s base scheme estimate is 34.365 million excluding GST, with an additional 425,000 premium to provide a hybrid surface to the main soccer pitch (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.46). The master plan cost table appears to incorporate the hybrid main pitch in the $34.79 million total, with the main soccer pitch item listed as a hybrid turf surface with perimeter fencing, shelters, scoreboard, and 500 lux sports lighting (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30). This creates a document-level reconciliation issue: the appendix distinguishes a base estimate and a hybrid premium, while the main report presents the hybrid-surface master plan as the adopted cost basis (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.46).

Equity, Safety and Community Use

The master plan treats the reserve as both a formal sports facility and a neighbourhood public-space asset. The community facility concept includes reception/cafe/administration, family room, multi-faith room, lift access, high-performance change and amenities, four community change rooms, externally accessible stores, consulting suites, first-floor social space, broadcasting rooms, a community gymnasium, and a program room (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.25). The play space is intended as a district-level facility and is paired with picnic tables, BBQ, shelter, paths, and informal open-space areas for residents who are not participating in organised sport (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.27; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.30).

The gender-impact assessment identifies design features intended to improve safety and inclusion for women, girls, gender-diverse people, carers, children, and people with disability. These include gender-neutral change rooms without urinals, hand basins set into bench tops, unisex referee and umpire amenities, accessible paths, a central accessible toilet, a family room, a multi-faith room, public lighting, straight wide paths, clear exits, passive surveillance from dwellings, and frequent evening and weekend activation (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.33; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.34; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.35). The report also links the safety rationale to Your Ground Victoria findings that unsafe public-realm experiences are associated with poor lighting, poor visibility, lack of people, isolation, and feeling trapped (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.34).

The engagement material shows that not all components were equally open to community influence. During exhibition, Council sought feedback on the playground, general open-space areas, walking track, small-sided soccer pitches, and entry points, while changes to high-performance elements such as the main pitch and community facility were identified as non-negotiable (Source: web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engagingmitchell-engagingmitchell.txt). This means community input was directed mainly toward public-realm and access details rather than the core sports and partnership structure of the project (Source: web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engagingmitchell-engagingmitchell.txt).

Relationship to the Wider Beveridge Open-Space Network

The Beveridge Central reserve is one node in a broader growth-area active open-space system. The report identifies the Beveridge Central PSP, Beveridge Township Development Plan, and Lockerbie North PSP as the planning frameworks with the greatest influence on medium-term local sporting provision (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22). The Draft Open Space Strategy 2024 allocates Beveridge Central three rectangular pitches and one overlaid cricket oval, while Lockerbie North is expected to provide two ovals, six tennis courts, two netball/tennis courts, two rectangular overlaid pitches, an athletics track, and additional tennis courts across northern and southern active open spaces (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).

This networked approach is necessary because the 2024 needs assessment already exceeds what Beveridge Central can deliver on its own. The identified demand for 11 soccer pitches and 6 cricket ovals cannot be absorbed by one main pitch, two community soccer pitches, and one overlaid cricket oval at Beveridge Central (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23). The planning implication is that Beveridge Central is an early anchor reserve, not the final solution to Beveridge’s field-sport demand (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).

Current Status

The draft master plan was exhibited from 21 February to 24 March 2025, feedback was to be assessed in April 2025, and the engagement page recorded Council consideration of the final master plan as the current stage with an estimated May 2025 timing (Source: web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engagingmitchell-engagingmitchell.txt). The May 2025 study report provides a final master plan and costed implementation framework, but the available corpus does not include Council minutes or a resolution confirming adoption, funding allocation, or construction commencement (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.31).

Dependencies

  • Blocks: The absence of this reserve delays Beveridge’s transition from a growth-area settlement with no sports fields to a district with local soccer, cricket, play, walking, and social-recreation infrastructure (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.2; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.10).
  • Blocked by: Delivery is dependent on funding availability, Council and stakeholder priorities, detailed drainage design, service authority works for sewer and electrical upgrades, and management of cost escalation beyond July 2025 (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.18; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.46).
  • Informed by: The master plan is informed by the Beveridge Central PSP, the Draft Mitchell Open Space Strategy 2024, the 2023-2024 site investigations, demographic forecasts, AusPlay participation rates, Sport and Recreation Victoria policy, Council ESD policy, the Urban Forest Strategy, the Climate Emergency Action Plan, and the Play Space Strategy (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.11; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.12; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.16; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).
  • Implements: The project implements the Beveridge Central PSP sports-reserve allocation SR01 and translates the Draft Open Space Strategy 2024 facility direction for three rectangular pitches and one overlaid cricket oval into a site-specific master plan (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.12; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).
  • Conflicts with: The master plan departs from the original PSP concept by replacing the originally indicated tennis-court component with small-sided soccer infrastructure, with tennis provision deferred to other nearby growth-area active open spaces (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.12; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).

The site is primarily a Mitchell Shire growth-area project, but its servicing and implementation rely on external infrastructure and sport-system actors. Yarra Valley Water is the utility for potable water, recycled water, fire service, and sewer, and sewer connection is likely to require extension of the sewer main across Patterson Road to the site’s west boundary (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.18). Sport and Recreation Victoria supported the study, and the report uses Victorian AusPlay participation data and state sport facility standards to justify the facility mix (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.1; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22). The project also interacts with the broader Beveridge, Lockerbie, Beveridge North West, Beveridge North East, and Donnybrook-Woodstock growth-area open-space network because tennis and additional field-sport demand are distributed across those precincts rather than resolved within Beveridge Central alone (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.22).

Gaps in This Analysis

The available corpus does not include the Council meeting minutes or resolution confirming whether the May 2025 final master plan was adopted, amended, deferred, or funded, so the status should remain treated as in-progress until an adoption record is available (Source: web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engagingmitchell-engagingmitchell.txt; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.29). The available corpus does not include the full community feedback report from the 21 February to 24 March 2025 exhibition, so this analysis cannot quantify how many submissions supported or opposed specific elements such as the play space, access points, small-sided soccer pitches, traffic, lighting, or the high-performance partnership model (Source: web-research-L1-aos-engagement-page-engagingmitchell-engagingmitchell.txt; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.24). The available corpus does not include the full Beveridge Central PSP, the Draft Mitchell Open Space Strategy 2024, Yarra Valley Water servicing advice, detailed traffic modelling, or detailed hydrological and drainage design, so infrastructure timing, contribution funding, and downstream drainage capacity cannot be assessed beyond the master plan’s concept-level statements (Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.12; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.18; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.20; Source: beveridge-central-active-open-space-master-plan.pdf, p.23).

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