Manningham Council has a long standing commitment to Wonga Park and of recent years has committed significant resources and funding to upgrading recreation and community facilities.
The work continues this year with four major projects (totalling $979,000) underway that will bring significant community health and environmental benefit, increase accessibility and capitalise on work previously undertaken at the Wonga Park Reserve.
Principle Pedestrian Network
As part of Council’s Principal Pedestrian Network, the footpath along the western side of Yarra Road is currently undergoing a significant upgrade (almost $300,000) to ensure better access from Launders Avenue (and Wonga Park Village shops) to Jumping Creek Road and beyond.
These works will also include a pedestrian refuge to enable safer crossing of Yarra Street and easier access to the school crossing on Jumping Creek Road which serves the Yarra Road Primary School students and parents.
Wonga Park Reserve in the spotlight again
Local sporting clubs will soon have greater access to the Wonga Park Reserve with work commencing on the installation of floodlighting.
More than $244,000 has been allocated to install floodlighting at the Wonga Park Reserve Oval No: 1 in Launders Avenue, which is the winter home to the Wonga Park Wizards Junior Football (Soccer) Club and the summer destination for the Wonga Park Cricket Club.
The No: 1 oval is used for multiple sports throughout the year, including cricket and soccer and the proposed lighting works will require that infrastructure is located outside of the oval perimeter to enable the current mixed use to continue.
The Wonga Park Reserve precinct is a wonderful community focal point and the new lights will be a great bonus for the clubs to increase their access to the reserve and offer more training programs and other opportunities that will help expand their membership base.
The installation of floodlights is a welcome addition to the reserve that also saw the pavilion extensively refurbished in 2011.
Wonga Park Tennis Club refurbishment
Manningham Council has commenced work on a $400,000 refurbishment to bring the Wonga Park Tennis Club clubrooms up to current standards and incorporate disability access in and around the building.
The refurbishment is being undertaken as part of Council’s Asset Maintenance Schedule (AMS) Program, with additional funding from the Wonga Park Tennis Club, a grant from Tennis Australia and a community grant from the Bendigo Bank.
The Wonga Park Tennis Club is a vital focal point in the local community and works such as these are about providing an accessible and socially connected facility, which in turn encourages a healthy and active community.
The refurbishment includes the:
- Extension of the building footprint to incorporate the amenities and storeroom
- Construction of three new interior bathrooms (accessible, male and female)
- Installation of a new relocated and central kitchen
- Extension of the southern steel veranda structure and installation of a new roof
- Replacement of all floor coverings throughout the building
- Upgrade to existing heating and cooling
- Painting throughout building and exterior
- Construction of an accessible connecting path to the north-east car park
Sewer connections on Council buildings
As part of the Sewer Backlog program, six Council buildings in Wonga Park are being connected to the sewer at a cost of $35,000. Work started in mid September and all the buildings are expected to be connected by mid-October.
The buildings connected are the:
- Wonga Park Tennis Club - (included in renovation works of the tennis club)
- Wonga Park Reserve public toilets
- Wonga Park Hall on Launders Ave
- Wonga Park Community Centre
- Burch Memorial Pre-school/Maternal and Child Health Centre/ Wonga Park Community Cottage
- Wonga Park Cricket pavilion on oval 2 - given the environmentally sensitive vegetation alongside the oval, works are being bored as much as possible in this area to protect the natural environment.
