Petition for new all abilities link to Rifle Range Reserve
WONTHAGGI residents have called on Bass Coast Shire Council to create a new gateway to the recently created Yallock Bullock Marine and Coastal Park.
A petition containing 454 signatures was delivered to Bass Coast Shire Council last week calling for an all abilities access path and a picturesque circuit walk through the northern part of Wonthaggi’s Rifle Range Reserve.
Local resident Christopher Catterall said the new reserve would contribute to council’s vision to have 40 per cent canopy cover in urban areas and help offset green space loss due to a newly made road in the area and adjacent housing development.
“It would welcome visitors to the Yallock Bullock Marine and Coastal Park as it’s Wonthaggi’s closest access point,” said Mr Catterall.
Presenting the petition to council Mr Catterall said it was overwhelmingly supported by locals in Wonthaggi as well as more broadly across the shire.
“We recorded 531 petition entries and 453 signatures,” said Mr Catterall.
The idea of a pedestrian cycle link to the Rifle Range Reserve has been talked about for 15 to 20 years according to Mr Catterall.
“Almost since the reserve came into being in 2005,” he said.
“In 2020, 15 to 20 local residents met with council officers from the Recreation and Transport Department to flesh out ideas for a Rifle Range link, but it failed to progress.”
Mr Catterall said he was notified in 2024 the request was being revisited.
In September 2025 council approved a housing development known as 158 Reed Crescent with the requirement of a five per cent public open space levy.
“The five per cent levy could kickstart the creation of a new reserve in the unused Broome Crescent road reserve adjacent to the new housing blocks,” said Mr Catterall.
“The corner of Brown Street and Broome Crescent has a public transport bus stop facilitating visitors from around Wonthaggi. The reserve could also provide an off-street cycle connection via the Campbell Street bushland to the rail trail at South Dudley.”
The petitioners asked for an upgraded storm water treatment plant for the new reserve.
“We note the five per cent developer contribution to public open space could be in the order of $35,000 to $40,000. We request the five per cent contribution be allocated solely for the creation of a new public recreation reserve adjacent to the new development, and storm water drainage west of the new section of Broome Crescent processed as close as possible to its source prior to entering the Rifle Range wetlands.
“The drainage line could be designed as a meandering streamline, passing through a series of amoeba shaped swales, functioning as additional retarding basins and planted out with native wetland vegetation to filter fertiliser nutrients and other contaminants.”
Residents claim the overburden or extracted material from creating the wetlands would be used to create levee banks, to provide flood mitigation for neighbouring properties, higher ground for trees, shrubs, grasses and herbs and room for a pathway, raised above the flood plain for the public to explore and use to connect to the Rifle Range Reserve.
“The wetlands could create habitat for water birds, frogs and a multitude of pond life.”
According to Mr Catterall a north-south link would be in line with council’s 2025-2045 Integrated Transport Strategy to provide the public with a much safer access route than the current access via Reed Crescent, which is a narrow carriageway with no footpaths and steep sided drains which are prone to flooding.
“Walkers, cyclists, families, school groups and out of town visitors would all have the safety of footpath/off-road access via newly upgraded Broome Crescent West and a new public reserve leading directly into the north end of Rifle Range Reserve.”
Bass Coast Shire Council received the petition and undertook to advise the head petitioner of council’s decision no later than the council meeting on April 15, 2026.
