Friends of Liverpool Road Retarding Basin members and Chandler Ward councillor John Mortimore have vowed to fight to save their park.
By Casey Neill
KNOX councillors have called on the State Government to help keep a Boronia park open to residents.
Locals vowed to fight to save Liverpool Road Retarding Basin earlier this year following Melbourne Water plans to curb access to the 22.45-hectare site.
The authority removed a picnic shelter, tables, seats and a jetty in early December, fenced off areas and placed two bridges on the chopping block.
A council report said the move was a State Government attempt to shift maintenance costs to local government.
Councillors last month asked the Environment and Climate Change and Water ministers to reinstate facilities removed from the park and provide funding for ongoing maintenance.
Chandler Ward councillor John Mortimore said taking care of the park could cost the council up to $40,000 each year.
“That preliminary estimate doesn’t include the ongoing renewal of the park, or the $200,000 it would take to replace facilities already removed,” Cr Mortimore said.
“Melbourne Water and the State Government can’t wash their hands of something so important to a local community and just expect them to pick up the slack.”
Cr Mortimore said the community had used the park since 1972 and it was the most popular dog-walking site in the region.
“It is an institution in that area of Knox. We have to protect it,” he said.
Cr Mortimore supported planned environmental improvements for the site.
“However, human beings are part of the environment,” he said.
“And we should not exclude people from this environment.”
A council report said Melbourne Water had not adequately consulted nearby residents on its Future Directions Plan, which was released last June.
The document details plans to balance flood protection, wildlife conservation and public use over the next 15 years.
A key recommendation was to remove structures that did not meet Australian building standards, including the picnic shelter and fishing platform.
It found dog access was impacting habitat and vegetation and “further restriction of recreational access and use” may be necessary, but listed retaining existing recreational use as a high priority.
The Liverpool Road retarding basin is home to endangered and vulnerable plants and animals and is an overflow area for Dandenong Creek.
