After comprehensive community consultation, as well as consultation with the Edinburgh Gardens sporting clubs and Victorian Government, a revised design for the redevelopment of sporting and community facilities at the Brunswick Street Oval has been endorsed by Council.
The consultation findings were presented to Council on Tuesday 17 December 2024. During this meeting, the revised design and next steps for the project were endorsed.
In response to community feedback, Council’s resolution also included an amendment to publish a new landscape plan designed to improve the interface between the sports pavilion and St Georges Road and not proceed with planting additional trees on "Hipster Hill".
Gabrielle Murphy, Vice President & Director, Community Relations for the Fitzroy Football Club said “It was such a relief and so gratifying that the current design has been unanimously passed with [an] important and useful amendment, and that is the trees slated to be planted on ‘Hipster Hill’ – the most beautiful spectator spot in the City of Yarra – will be planted elsewhere.”
“All in all, it is a brilliant result for the sporting clubs and the broader community” Ms Murphy said
With Council’s endorsement, the next steps and timing include:
- further design consultant engagement – early 2025
- planning approval amendment and heritage permits applied for – early 2025
- tree removals – early 2025
- tender for tennis improvements – early 2025
- early infrastructure works commence – mid-2025
- award contract for tennis improvements – early to mid-2025
- tender for design and construction of sport pavilion – mid-2025
After comprehensive community consultation, a revised design for the redevelopment of sporting and community facilities at the Brunswick Street Oval was endorsed by Council in December 2024.
Project background
In April 2022 an updated proposal to redevelop the sporting facilities and community spaces at the Brunswick Street Oval was presented for community consultation. These facilities service the Fitzroy Tennis Club, Edinburgh Cricket Club, Fitzroy Junior Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club. The feedback received was used to inform the proposed design that was endorsed by Council in May 2022. It covered three distinct pieces of work, funded primarily by the Victorian Government, including:
- a new inclusive and accessible pavilion for the football and cricket clubs
- an upgraded and expanded tennis precinct including additional courts, relocated club house, new amenities and landscaping
- improvements to the heritage grandstand.
Like many councils in Victoria, supply chain issues and the rising cost of materials and labour impacted project delivery. As a result, we were unable to commence construction of the new sports pavilion as planned in late 2023.
Council is committed to delivering this project and has been working with key stakeholders including sporting clubs and the Victorian Government to create a revised design for the facilities that can be delivered within the available budget, while still meeting the needs of the local community.
Council sought community feedback on the revised design before proceeding to amend the planning permit and commencing construction.
The Brunswick Street Oval sporting and community facilities project has funding support from the Victorian Government.
The Minister for Planning.
Heritage approval for the design will be required from the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria.
Three English elms located to the north and west of the tennis club. A comprehensive tree removal and replacement plan is available here (p705 Agenda: Attachment 5 – BSOP Tree Removal and Replacement Plan [ PDF, 264.26 MB] ).
There is no requirement under the DDA that all eight courts be accessible.
The DDA and the Disability Standards focus on ensuring equitable access to public facilities for people with disabilities. These regulations focus on aspects such as accessible entrances, amenities, signage, and pathways, rather than specifying a minimum number of sports courts or facilities.
The BSOP project is being designed to create an environment that is usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design. It will ensure that facilities are welcoming and inclusive for everyone, regardless of ability.
The purpose of the November 2024 engagement was to provide a project update, understand community support and seek suggestions on the new designs. The feedback addressed 39 areas to consider which were incorporated into the final design where possible and in the project scope.
The responses received were carefully analysed and considered and were arranged under the 39 key themes. Suggestions provided by the community were responded to in detail in a transparent and comprehensive engagement report (p688 Agenda:Â Ordinary Council Meeting - 17 December 2024 [ PDF, 264.26 MB] ).
In response to community feedback, there was an amendment included in Council's resolution to publish a new landscape plan designed to improve the interface between the sports pavilion and St Georges Road. Another change made in response to feedback received was not to proceed with planting trees on "Hipster Hill".
Site investigations have confirmed the presence of contaminated soil which will be managed in accordance with EPA Victoria guidelines and relevant environmental regulations, along with specialist consultant advice.
The sports pavilion has been purposefully designed to be elevated as a part of this strategy, aligning with best-practice environmental risk management principles. The approach aligns with the Environment Protection Act and the principles of AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, ensuring that contamination risks are appropriately mitigated through considered site planning and built form.