Hannah Hammoud
Works at Sydenham Park are tracking along, including future plans to rename the reserve in Keilor North to an Indigenous title.
At the last council meeting an update was provided on the status of works at Sydenham Park which included some minor delays. A number of projects are being planned and delivered which were labelled as running mostly on time.
The renaming process will be launched alongside the establishment of the Sydenham Park Consultative Committee and will engage firstly with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation as the Traditional Owners and the Brimbank Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee (BATSICC).
Brimbank mayor Bruce Lancashire said the changing of the name of Sydenham Park will be an exciting, collaborative process for council.
“This idea came from the community to change the name to an Aboriginal name and I think that’s incredibly appropriate for a park that we see as having significant conservation, environmental, tourism and wellbeing aspects to it’s sporting facilities,” he said.
Stage one works of the Sydenham Park projects include the construction of a new shared use path with a lookout and nature play area, the installation of a new access gate near the golf course pavilion and the installation of signage for wayfinding.
The official opening of Stage 1 works is set to be held during September this year.
Councillor Virginia Tachos said the Sydenham Park project is one of the most exciting openings for Brimbank council.
“When we sat in the council in the first term, we were looking at an old master plan. It was a rocky road ahead with the council, there’s a lot of passion in this particular park, and understandably we can’t get things moving fast enough,” she said.
“… To get to our stage one [works], with completion of the new shared use park, is indeed one of the most exciting steps that I have experienced.”
Projects within the precinct are being delivered by staff across a range of council departments and includes the involvement of numerous external stakeholders. An internal cross branch steering group has been established to manage and monitor these projects.
