Growing pains as Wonthaggi residents call for more open space and parks
LOCAL families are calling for immediate upgrades to community infrastructure as a sharp increase in residential housing development reshapes Wonthaggi.
A surge in home building approvals across the Bass Coast Shire has led to concerns that rapid subdivision is outpacing the allocation of public green space.
“Backyards are getting smaller and kids need space,” said grandparent Mary Coppens.
“Kids need room to run around.”
Ms Coppens regularly takes her grandchildren to the park inside the Parklands Estate, where she plays pickleball on the local courts.
She believes the development boom requires a more diverse range of public facilities, suggesting future estates should incorporate purpose-built dog parks, bicycle riding tracks and skate parks.
The sentiment is shared by parents who travel to established green pockets to give their children outdoor recreation.
Bree Basterfield and her children, Jett and Kai, are regular visitors to the Parklands Estate park, despite living out of town.
“We live at Wattlebank but come to this park after school to play and meet new friends,” said Ms Basterfield.
“All the new estates should have more space. When existing housing estates are expanded, there is simply not enough open space.”
Local residents agreed that although existing parks are highly valued, they are struggling to support the volume of community use.
Donna Stevens highlighted the role local parks play as social hubs, explaining children enjoy having birthday parties and meeting other children.
The Parklands Estate park is a good meeting spot but needs more toilet facilities and a barbecue would be fantastic, according to Ms Stevens.
“Then it would be one of the best parks in town. They’ve done a beautiful job, and we’re always meeting new people we haven’t seen before.”
Ms Basterfield also suggested Wonthaggi requires facilities usable during the wet winter months, including a commercial indoor play centre and an upgrade to the aquatic facility with an indoor water park.
The Victorian Government has designated the Bass Coast region as a Distinctive Area and Landscape, a legal status recognising the high value of the region’s natural environment, landscapes and coastal lifestyle and requiring development to balance growth with preservation.
At the same time, major urban expansion is already locked in.
Bass Coast Shire Council recently received the green light for the Wonthaggi North-East Precinct Structure Plan (PSP), a master plan set to effectively double the geographic footprint of Wonthaggi.
Over the coming decades, the precinct will pave the way for new housing estates designed to accommodate more than 12,000 new residents, along with a substantial expansion of the town’s business and industrial precinct.
As developers carve out new subdivisions, the pressure remains on council planners to ensure the 12,000 future residents are not left without recreational spaces.
