title: Moorabool Open Space Strategy 2025-2030 council: moorabool state: vic category: strategy classification: MAJOR status: active last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:
- 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf
Moorabool Open Space Strategy 2025-2030
The Moorabool Open Space Strategy 2025-2030 is less a park beautification document than a service-standard framework for deciding what land Council should accept, improve, reject, acquire, or dispose of across a fast-changing settlement pattern (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.4). Its central planning mechanism is a four-part classification system: primary function, catchment level, landscape setting, and settlement type, which together determine whether a park is fit for its intended role rather than merely counted as open-space land (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.13).
Background
The strategy was prepared by Moorabool Shire Council’s Urban Design and Landscape Architecture Team with @leisure Planners, Council staff, DEECA staff, community groups, and local park and environmental groups (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.1). Council describes the strategy as a single consolidated volume created after internal review of four earlier Open Space Strategy volumes prepared by @leisure, following review of more than 50 open-space-related documents, stakeholder interviews, Have Your Say engagement, assessment of activity participation using existing and 2041 populations, and internal workshops on greenfield open space, encumbered land, development contributions, biodiversity and waterways, off-road trails, dogs, play, access, and inclusion (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.4).
The strategy defines public open space as public land open to the sky, land reserved for Public Park and Recreation or Public Conservation and Resource in the Moorabool Planning Scheme, or land set aside for recreation or environmental purposes (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.4). Its stated purpose is to guide open-space planning across the Shire, including greenfield development areas, and to meet community needs today and into 2035 through a hierarchy, service levels, and actions for the strategic period (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.4).
The strategic framework links the open-space program to Council plans, national and state policy settings, health and wellbeing policy, disability and gender equality obligations, waterway strategies, nature and climate adaptation strategies, and Moorabool development plans (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.5). The practical effect is that open-space decisions are not treated as isolated landscape projects; the strategy expects each park, trail, corridor, and reserve to carry multiple functions across recreation, movement, biodiversity, safety, water, heritage, and asset management (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.9-12).
Analysis
Classification as the Core Planning Mechanism
The strategy’s strongest planning move is to make primary function the first decision in open-space assessment, because the function determines size, location, distribution, infrastructure quality, management obligations, and whether demand is actually being met (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.13). This matters because a reserve can look adequate on a land-area map while failing the community if it is too steep, too narrow, too poorly connected, too undeveloped, or serving only a utility or drainage role (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.13, 18-20).
The strategy separates unencumbered functions from encumbered functions, which changes how open-space contributions should be assessed (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.14, 18). Unencumbered functions include social and family recreation, organised sport, passive recreation, memorial and contemplation parks, visual amenity and lookouts, and gateway reserves or wayside stops (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.14-17). Encumbered functions include steep land, accessways and off-road trail corridors, flood-prone land, wetlands, basins, water management areas, utilities, and industrial or employment-area buffers (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.18-20).
The consequence is that Council is setting up a refusal test for land offered as public open space (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.18, 49-50). The strategy states that encumbered land may be refused as an open-space contribution where it is not fit for purpose or creates perceived risk to Council, and later action items require Council to reduce encumbered land take unless the land can meet a specified function and maintenance obligations are addressed (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.18, 50). This is a material governance shift because a drainage reserve, escarpment, wetland, or utility easement is no longer automatically treated as equivalent to a usable park (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.27-28, 49-50).
Landscape setting is used as a second control to prevent the network from becoming repetitive (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.21). The strategy identifies nine settings: bushland, ornamental garden, open grass or kickabout space, managed turf or sports surface, treed parkland, river corridor or water body, cultural or historic landscape, civic plaza, and former farmland or agricultural landscape (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.21-25). This mechanism is important in Moorabool because hot weather, tree-canopy loss, and increasing hard surfaces are identified as issues to be addressed through open-space design, stormwater retention, shade, and planting (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.10-12, 21).
Greenfield Development and Contribution Standards
The greenfield section converts the strategy from a network assessment into a development-assessment tool (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.26-28). The strategy cites Clause 56.05-2 of the Moorabool Planning Scheme as requiring local parks within 400 metres safe walking distance of at least 95 percent of dwellings, active open space of at least 8 hectares within 1 kilometre of 95 percent of dwellings, and linear parks and trails along waterways, vegetation corridors, and road reserves within 1 kilometre of 95 percent of dwellings (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.26). It also states that Council requires more than 5 percent unencumbered open-space land contribution within infill development (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.26).
For larger new communities, the strategy adopts the Victorian Planning Authority benchmark of 10 percent of net developable residential area for local parks and sports field reserves, divided into 3-5 percent for local parks and 5-7 percent for sports field reserves (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.27). It then states Moorabool’s local preference as 7 percent of future greenfield land for sports field reserves and 3 percent for passive open space because of a historical undersupply of active open space (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.27). In dedicated employment or economic activity areas, the cited VPA benchmark is 2 percent of net developable area for local parks (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.27).
The active open-space standards are deliberately dimensional rather than generic (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.27). A single oval or two soccer fields require 4 hectares, a small rectangular-field sports reserve in PSP areas requires 6 hectares, and larger sports-ground reserves in PSP areas require 10-12 hectares (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.27). The strategy also requires sports land to be unencumbered, flat, appropriately oriented, linked to pedestrian and cycle paths, near complementary facilities, and capable of access to recycled or other sustainable water supply (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.27).
The planning implication is clear: a greenfield layout that supplies nominal open-space hectares but locates them in basins, steep escarpments, utility corridors, or poorly shaped residual parcels would fail the strategy’s mechanism (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.27-28). Encumbered land can still assist the network when it adds borrowed landscape, biodiversity, a trail, visual amenity, relaxation, or a secondary recreation role, but the strategy requires risk assessment, clarity about acceptable uses, and contributions to additional ongoing maintenance costs where Council is asked to manage it (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.27-28, 50).
Catchment Hierarchy and Level of Service
The catchment hierarchy turns open-space classification into an asset and service-level framework (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.29-33). Local parks are intended to serve a less than 400 metre walkable catchment, a 5-10 minute walking distance, and areas of about 0.2-3 hectares (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.30). District parks are intended to serve a 1 kilometre catchment, a 10-20 minute walking distance, and areas of about 3-10 hectares or 1.5 kilometres in length (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.31). Regional parks have no set walking distance, are expected to attract visitors from across and beyond Moorabool, and are typically greater than 10 hectares or 5 kilometres in length (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.32).
This hierarchy affects capital works because each level carries different essential embellishments (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.30-33). Local parks require basic play, paths, seating, landscape planting, social spaces, waste bins, and green space, while district parks add multi-age play, sporting facilities, lighting, parking, drinking water, irrigation, and broader path systems as core elements (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.30-31). Regional parks add major visitor infrastructure such as toilets, parking, dog parks, extensive walking circuits, major social spaces, sports facilities, lighting, irrigation, and potential specialised recreation programs (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.32).
The hierarchy also exposes why some existing assets may need reclassification or redesign rather than simple renewal (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.33, 40-42). The programme comparison makes minor playgrounds compulsory at local level but not at district or regional level, while large or major playgrounds, public toilets, parking, structured sport, lighting, irrigation, and event spaces become more relevant at higher catchment levels (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.33). A reserve that functions as a district park but only contains local-level amenities will therefore create an undersupply of service even if the land itself is already public (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.31, 33, 40-42).
Locality Findings and Spatial Pressure Points
The locality analysis found no obvious areas of oversupply once distance, range of open-space types, low-value sites, under-embellished sites, and underutilised sites were considered (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.37). It identifies widespread issues with encumbered urban open space, disconnected linear corridors along waterways, aqueducts, transmission easements, freeway and railway corridors, and underused potential bio-links (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.37). This means Moorabool’s network problem is not simply land quantity; it is the mismatch between land ownership, usability, embellishment, access, and ecological connectivity (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.37).
In Bacchus Marsh and Darley, the strategy identifies gaps in the northeast, northwest, and west of Darley for dedicated social and family recreation, despite an apparent quantity of open-space land, because much of that land is undeveloped, encumbered, or not publicly accessible (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.35). It recommends selective redevelopment of one large open space in each Darley sector for social and family use, smaller-reserve planting upgrades, and trail circuits connecting to the river and Aqualink (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.35). In Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley, the strategy identifies several areas outside a 400-500 metre walking distance from open space and notes that many existing parks are small play parks constrained by size, proximity to houses, slope, or drainage encumbrance (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.35).
Ballan is identified as having only 3 hectares reserved for public open space, with the Werribee River corridor acting as a perceived central open-space spine even though the river is not fully accessible and surrounding land is not officially designated as public open space (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.35). The strategy also identifies northern Ballan as underserved by public open space as housing density increases and notes that recent small infill subdivisions have worsened the lack of walkable public spaces (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.35). That makes Ballan a priority for centrally located open space, river-corridor access, off-road trails, and better connection between the recreation reserve, civic space, and northern growth areas (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.35).
Hopetoun Park is identified as lacking a defined community heart, sports space, social hard courts, dedicated social and family recreation, sealed paths, and off-road trails (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.36). The strategy notes that two undeveloped recreation reserves leave much of the residential area without proper open-space service and that future northern residential development with smaller lots will require a central social and family recreation space (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.36). This is one of the clearest examples of the strategy’s settlement-type mechanism: lower private open-space provision and smaller lots increase the need for public open-space function, not just public land area (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.26, 36).
Small-town findings vary by settlement structure (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.35-37). Blackwood has nearby Crown land and Lerderderg State Park but lacks accessible recreation space close to the residential area and main street (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.35). Bungaree and Dunnstown are oriented around recreation reserves within about 1 kilometre of most homes, with trail and bio-link improvements identified as priorities (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.35-36). Greendale’s recreation reserve is within about 400 metres of residential lots, while Gordon has a small and not fully accessible central social and family recreation park and a southern boundary area without social/family recreation or sport within 500 metres (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.36). Myrniong and Wallace are directed toward consolidating growth near existing recreation reserves and using open-space contributions to enhance existing reserves and trail circuits (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.37).
Delivery Program, Acquisition, and Disposal
The delivery program is structured around recurring information, design, and capital-prioritisation tasks rather than a fixed funded works list (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.46-50). Council is to develop an Open Space Enhancement Project program every three years, collate audits of existing open space, update databases as new projects are handed over, implement GIS mapping layers for hierarchy levels, map gaps and bio-link opportunities, and develop a Small Township Enhancement Project program every three years (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.46-47).
Several actions are designed to turn the strategy into development-control practice (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.47, 49-50). Council is to prepare a developer toolkit for open-space design, approval, and development in greenfield areas; adopt the classifications across future strategies and guidelines; prioritise social/family recreation, off-road trails, and sport in new residential areas; and ensure encumbered land is tested for size, configuration, capability, character, risk, and maintenance cost before acceptance (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.47, 49-50).
The acquisition and disposal provisions create a conservation-of-network principle (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.39). Acquisition may be required to fill a supply gap, add diversity, complete a river corridor or trail route, create a bio-link, meet demand for recreation or sport, protect conservation or local significance, enlarge a site so it becomes fit for purpose, replace low-value land lost through development, or respond to subdivision demand (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.39). Disposal or land swap is only to be considered after assessing whether the site can serve another function, whether it can be expanded or improved, what disposal would cost, and whether proceeds would better support open space nearby; the strategy states that open space should not be sold to fund small capital projects (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.39).
Current Status
The strategy is dated 2025 and contains an action plan running from 2025 through 2029-30 (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.1, 46-50). The source available for this compilation does not include a Council adoption minute, gazettal record, implementation report, budget allocation, or progress update, so the current implementation status can be read only from the strategy’s own action timetable rather than an external governance record (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.46-50).
Dependencies
- Blocks: Acceptance of poorly configured or encumbered land as open-space contribution should be constrained by the strategy’s fit-for-purpose tests, especially in residential subdivisions and greenfield areas (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.27-28, 49-50).
- Blocked by: Implementation depends on updated audits, GIS layers, hierarchy mapping, gap mapping, the developer toolkit, asset guidance, playspace strategy, Parks for Play guideline, and open-space maintenance plan updates (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.46-49).
- Informed by: The strategy was informed by more than 50 documents, previous locality and issue plans, Bacchus Marsh and Ballan Open Space Planning Framework 2019, Have Your Say engagement, 2041 population-based activity assessment, and internal workshops (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.4).
- Implements: The document aligns open-space planning with Clause 11 settlement policy, Clause 56.05-2 subdivision standards, the Moorabool Planning Scheme, Council’s strategic framework, health and wellbeing policy, gender equality requirements, disability access considerations, and open-space design standards (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.4-5, 9-12, 26).
- Conflicts with: The main implementation tension is between accepting encumbered land because it is available through subdivision and refusing or conditioning that land because it does not meet primary open-space functions or creates additional lifecycle costs (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.27-28, 49-50).
Cross-Jurisdictional Links
The strategy’s network is partly dependent on state-managed and Crown land because it maps state parks, state forests, national parks, nature conservation reserves, Crown water frontages, DEECA land, DTP land, and regional landscapes as part of the open-space context (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.6, 36, 40). Federation Park at Darley illustrates the multi-agency issue because the total 15,270 square metre reserve is split between Council land of 5,580 square metres, DEECA reserve land of 1,430 square metres, and DTP reserve land of 8,260 square metres (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.40).
The strategy also has regional connections through visitor use and state-park access (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.8, 40). Federation Park is identified as serving Darley residents, Bacchus Marsh-region visitors, Moorabool-wide travellers, transport workers, and regional visitors travelling to and from Gisborne in Macedon Ranges Shire (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.40). These cross-boundary roles mean some Moorabool reserves operate as movement and visitor infrastructure as well as local community open space (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.17, 32, 40).
Gaps in This Analysis
This analysis is limited to one compiled source document, even though the strategy states that more than 50 documents and four earlier @leisure volumes informed the final strategy (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, p.4). The missing material prevents independent checking of locality mapping, 2041 population assumptions, consultation findings, audit scores, project prioritisation, and the basis for site-specific service gaps (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.4, 34-37).
Important missing documents include the four original Open Space Strategy volumes, the Bacchus Marsh and Ballan Open Space Planning Framework 2019, Have Your Say submissions or engagement report, park audit datasets, GIS walkability maps, the detailed locality maps, Council adoption report, capital works budget, and any implementation reporting for 2025 or 2026 (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.4, 34-38, 46-50). Without those sources, this page can identify the strategy’s mechanisms and stated priorities but cannot verify cost, project staging, land acquisition timing, quantified population growth by locality, or whether the action plan has begun delivery (Source: 2025-2030-open-space-strategy.pdf, pp.46-50).