A masterplan has been developed to guide the revitalisation of Higgins Park and Playfield Reserve.
Recreational spaces are important to community life, and Higgins Park and Playfield Reserve play a key role as a home for formal sport and informal recreation in Victoria Park. The Town has prepared a Masterplan to guide the future use and upgrades of the parks, to meet the future needs of the sporting clubs, population growth and requirement for open space in our community.
Background on the masterplan
Image: the final approved masterplan option.
Higgins Park, Fred Bell Parade and Playfield Reserve (the site) form an eight-hectare parcel of public open space. This site is regarded as one of the Town’s main formal sporting facilities as well as a key recreational amenity for the local community, featuring a playground, barbecues and clubrooms. Given the site’s land size, the projected population growth, the need for formalised sporting areas, and the recently adopted Public Open Space Strategy, the Town appointed consultant Place Laboratory to prepare several masterplan options for the site.
The masterplan options sought to:
- Optimise regional active recreation opportunities on the site
- Maximise and modernise the recreational offering of the site
- Enhance and provide passive recreation amenity to the local community
- Make public open space and Town assets work for the community
- Align with and deliver on objectives of the Public Open Space Strategy
The masterplan options were developed through a co-design workshop process with a Design Reference Group, which included members of the community and representatives from the stakeholder groups.
In September 2020, Council approved the three masterplan options to proceed to public advertising, and a final masterplan was approved at the December 2020 Special Council Meeting.
A summary if the final masterplan inclusions is available below.
Masterplan inclusions
- One senior and one junior AFL oval;
- One senior and one junior cricket oval;
- Centrally located shared sports building to accommodate all clubs, including multi directional viewing areas;
- Retained tennis and croquet courts, with improved access from the new shared sports building, and a spectators viewing area;
- Traffic calming measures to Playfield Street to improve the safety and connection to Millen Primary School. Further investigation will be carried out to the closure of Playfield Street to traffic between Etwell Street and Ramsden Avenue;
- Further investigation into the closure of Fred Bell Parade from Hill View Terrace;
- Universal access path network around perimeter and through key routes within the park, including connection to the Hill View Terrace bus stop;
- All ages community facilities including fitness equipment and spectator seating around perimeter of oval;
- All ages, multi ability community playground on Higgins Park with shade structure, picnic and BBQ facilities, bike racks, drink fountain and way finding signage;
- Removal of the existing tennis club building and replacement with a youth zone including mixed sports courts, graphic surface treatment, terraced embankment, lighting, drink fountain, planting and bike racks;
- Improved access and use of the embankment between Higgins Park and Playfield Reserve, including universal access and sloped play areas;
- Upgrades to Playfield Reserve including seating terraces, picnic setting, drink fountain and small nature play space;
- Upgrades to surrounds of RSL including expansion of forecourt for outdoor events, additional tree planting, universal access footpaths and reconfiguration of car parking;
- Re-vegetation and expansion of existing Kokoda trails network including wayfinding, signage and the possible closure of Fred Bell Parade from Hill View Terrace;
- Removal of turf from the sloped boundary areas and from under trees, replaced with locally native vegetation and garden beds;
- Increased canopy coverage;
- Increased lighting to informal and formal recreation areas;
- Formalised parking configurations.
What's happened so far?
A masterplan has been developed to guide the long and short-term revitalisation of this popular community space. The Town is now working towards implementation, following a 10–15-year roadmap which will be undertaken in stages.
The first stage, a lighting upgrade, has been completed. Funding for the lighting upgrade was approved in the 2022-23 Annual Budget and additional funding was acquired through the CSRFF club lights grant. After a tender process, the lighting upgrade construction contract was awarded to Stiles Electrical Service at the July 2023 Ordinary Council Meeting.
Completed: Lighting upgrade
The Town completed the lighting upgrade component of the masterplan in 2024, which aimed to improve safety and visibility to recreational spaces. The upgrade has assisted the Town in its ongoing commitment to a safe nighttime environment for the community, and further benefits those who use the park, including clubs such as Victoria Park Raiders Junior Football Club, South Perth Junior Cricket Club, and Carlisle Windsor Cricket Club, who may use the park in the evening for training and games.
What's next?
The Town is currently working on the feasibility and concept design for the redevelopment of the Higgins Park clubrooms. The outcome for this phase is to create a contemporary, fit-for-purpose facility aligned with current and future community needs.
The Town, alongside the appointed architects, will be working closely with the clubs utilising the current clubrooms to create design concepts for a new facility that meets the needs of all users.
Stay in the loop
This project page will be updated as each phase progresses.
Keep an eye out on our Facebook page and website for more information.
For any questions and further information, contact us on 9311 8111 or at admin@vicpark.wa.gov.au.
Related information:
Special Council Meeting 16 December 2020 - minutes
Higgins Park and Playfield Reserve - final masterplan
A - Stakeholder engagement
B - Site analysis
C - Collocated facility document
D - Workshop 1 summary
E - Workshop 2 summary
F - Workshop 3 summary
G - DRG submission report
H - Design visualisations