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T O O R O U R R O N GR E S E R V O I R

P A R K_

M A S T E RP L A N

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B A C K G R O U N DP A P E R

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P A R T A_

B A C K G R O U N D_

Toorourrong Reservoir Park, nestled at the base of the Great Dividing Range, is a popular and much-loved park. Toorourrong displays all the qualiti es of a “traditi onal” reservoir park - having ornamental trees in lawn with views across the water to the hills – with the added att racti on that some parts of the park, such as the picnic area in the eucalypts towards the park entrance, have a real Australian bushland character. Toorourrong Reservoir is managed by Melbourne Water and the 12ha Toorourrong Reservoir Park is managed by Parks Victoria.

Figure 1. Aerial photo December 2009 source: land.vic.gov.au NOTE: Toorourrong Reservoir Park is currently closed to the public as a result of bushfi re damage and dam wall strengthening works.

What’s Happened ?

The Black Saturday fi res of 2009 burnt most of the vegetati on and damaged all of the park infrastructure, resulti ng in the loss of the park’s toilets, picnic shelter, picnic furniture and barbecues. The aerial image in fi gure 1 shows the extent of damage to the park. The large stand of pines on the southern hill was badly burnt and any remaining pines on the hill were hazardous and have been removed.

The historic reservoir wall did not meet modern dam safety standards and for some ti me Melbourne Water has been

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w a v e w a l l

r e c o n s t r u c t e dc l e a r w a t e rc h a n n e l

d a m e m b a n k m e n t

‘ b o r r o w p i t s ’( e x c a v a t e d m a t e r i a l f o r e x t e n d e d d a m e m b a n k m e n t )

u n s u i t a b l e m a t e r i a lt o b e l e a s a n i s l a n d

r e c o n s t r u c t e ds p i l l w a y

Figure 2. Dam wall works overlayed over pre 2009 aerial

planning to strengthen the wall. In 2010 Melbourne Water commenced the detailed planning and preparati on for the wall works. Details about the works can be found at Melbourne Water’s website www.melbournewater.com. The works include increasing the size and height of the earthen embankment and building a concrete “wave wall” on top. The overall height of the wall will be raised by 2.4 metres. The base of the wall will extend out to about twice its current width in secti ons. For those who know the park well, this means that almost half of the existi ng lilly pond will be taken up by the wall expansion, refer to fi gure 2.

The Need for a Master Plan

These two “events” are having a major impact on the park, and hence Parks Victoria is developing a master plan to guide the restorati on and redevelopment of the park. The plan will aim to retain the essenti al character and restore the park to being functi onal - being mindful that the enlargement of the wall and the damage from the fi res mean that the park cannot be rebuilt exactly as it was. The planning also provides the opportunity to look at what wasn’t working well in the park and to take into account community expectati ons around quality of design and environmental standards.

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Visitors

Prior to the 2009 bushfi res, the park was a popular picnic and day trip desti nati on, parti cularly for family groups. Approximately 80,000 people visited the park each year. Many large ethnic family groups, refl ecti ng the make-up of Melbourne’s multi cultural northern suburbs, have enjoyed the park for barbecues and get-togethers. For some overseas -born Australians, the eucalypt picnic area of the park has been their fi rst real immersion in the Australian “bush”.

Importantly, the park has provided a safe and friendly place for people with a disability and their carers to come and relax and enjoy the outdoors. This takes on parti cular signifi cance given that there is a relati vely high amount of supported accommodati on in the Whitt lesea region.

Figure 3. Toorourrong Reservoir Park in the 1960s (photo provided by Stan Dipple)

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Figure 4. Historic clearwater channel in the 1990s and 2010

History

Toorourrong Reservoir has been in use since 1885, not long aft er Melbourne fi rst experienced water shortages. It’s likely that the name comes from the East Kulin ‘Toururrong’ meaning the “Laughing Jackass” (Kookaburra). Its principal functi on is to allow silt to sett le out prior to water being diverted via an aqueduct to the Yan Yean Reservoir. The aqueduct is constructed from granite and, further downstream, bluestone. The years 1876 and 1877 were dry and in 1879, with water in Yan Yean Reservoir at a low level, it was decided to investi gate the tributaries of the King Parrot Creek with the idea of diverti ng them into Yan Yean.

Wallaby and Silver creeks, north of the Great Dividing Range, were tapped to provide water in 1884. Off -take weirs were built and an open, granite-lined contour channel, the Wallaby Aqueduct, carried water across the Great Dividing Range just east of Mount Disappointment, then into Jacks Creek and fi nally Toorourrong Reservoir. The reservoir was to act as a sett ling basin before the water travelled nearly eight kilometres down the Clear Water Channel to Yan Yean and then into the distributi on system. Unti l the Thomson Reservoir was built in 1984 this was the only Melbourne reservoir that drew water from north of the divide.

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Heritage Protecti on

An Interim Protecti on Order was placed on the reservoir in 2010 and in February 2011 Toorourrong Reservoir was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (H2128).

Extract from the Register: How is it signifi cant? The Toorourrong Reservoir complex is of historical and scienti fi c (technological) signifi cance to the state of Victoria.

Why is it signifi cant? The Toorourrong Reservoir complex is of historical signifi cance as an important part of the extensions to the Yan Yean Water Supply system, built in 1883-86 and sti ll operati ng. Toorourrong was an essenti al stage in the nineteenth century development of Melbourne’s water supply system, designed to improve the quality and increase the quanti ty of Melbourne’s water as the populati on increased in the post-gold rush period. It is of historical signifi cance for its associati on with William Thwaites, the civil engineer and public servant who designed the 1880s extensions to the 1850s Yan Yean Water Supply system, and was also largely responsible for the design and constructi on of Melbourne’s

sewerage system, both considered to be among the greatest engineering feats in Victoria in the nineteenth century.

The Toorourrong Reservoir complex is of scienti fi c (technological) signifi cance as an essenti al component of the 1880s additi ons to the 1850s Yan Yean Water Supply system. The constructi on of this system in the 1850s and 1880s was one of the major engineering projects of nineteenth century Victoria and the 1880s works allowed water from north of the Great Dividing Range to fl ow by means of gravity more than fi ft y kilometres across the Great Dividing Range as far as the city of Melbourne. The Toorourrong Reservoir complex is of scienti fi c (technological) signifi cance for the quality of the stonework in the stone-lined spillway and channels associated with the Reservoir. It is a demonstrati on of the craft smanship of nineteenth century stonemasons and is a fi ne example of the use of stone in a major nineteenth century engineering project.

Toorourrong Reservoir and Channel is also listed on the Nati onal Trust database (B6402)

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Figure 5. Dam wall strengthening works 2011

Heritage Permit Required for Works

Note that the whole of the site is included in the heritage registrati on and therefore Parks Victoria will be required to apply for a heritage permit to undertake works to rebuild the park. Staff from Heritage Victoria are assisti ng Parks Victoria in understanding how to carry the heritage elements of the park forward in an appropriate way.

Melbourne Water has been granted a permit to carry out the dam strengthening works, with some of the main conditi ons of the Heritage Victoria permit requiring Melbourne Water to:

Rebuild one major stairway to replace the two that existed Rebuild the three-arched sluice gates within the Clearwater Channel

Retain any bluestone or granite blocks not needed in wall works for use in park restorati on works

Provide interpretati on of the heritage elements

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P A R T B_

P L A N N I N GF O R

R E B U I L D I N G_

Master Plan for the Park - key issues In 2010 Parks Victoria engaged Site Offi ce Landscape Architects to assist with developing the master plan for the park. A large part of the eff ort to date has been in understanding how the dam wall strengthening works will impact on the experience of being in the park – in parti cular the impact on the picnic area “below the wall” around the ornamental pond area. At least one half of the ornamental pond will be “under” the rebuilt dam wall. But with the need for a new, large “borrow pit” (from which clay for the wall is gained) comes the opportunity for a new pond. In early discussions, local people have spoken of the importance to them of the open, ornamental trees-in-lawn feel of the picnic area below the wall and Parks Victoria will work to carry this character forward.

The wallThe wall itself will no longer be a straight line, on the picnic area side, as large mounds of earth will be incorporated as part of the wall strengthening. The areas between and on top of these new mounds will provide new opportuniti es. The new concrete wave wall on top of the embankment will also make a diff erence to the way the wall looks.

AccessThere are also implicati ons for the entry to this area. Given that the wall height has increased, the picnic area will not be as visible from the entry road and ensuring universal (disability) access is not without challenges. The picnic/bbq area in the bushland area near the entry to the park has been badly damaged and the extent

Figure 6. Regenerati ng vegetati on

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of replacement is a key issue. There is an opportunity to look at providing bett er faciliti es along the entry road, with its magnifi cent view over the reservoir.

A chance to improveThis is also an opportunity to look at the things that didn’t work well – such as the unreliable water supply to the toilets and the poor practi ce of using a sewerage fi eld to treat the waste.

In testament to Nature, the hill area formerly occupied by pines is regenerati ng with a new fl ush of indigenous trees, predominantly eucalypts and watt les (refer to fi gure 6). How the character of this hill should evolve into the future is a key questi on.

Figure 7. Toorourrong Reservoir Park in the 1990s (photo provided by Maxine Watson)

A Possible Place for a Bushfi re Memorial

Parks Victoria has been approached by City of Whitt lesea who, on behalf of its community, is exploring possible locati ons for a memorial and/or place of refl ecti on to remember the impact of the Victorian bushfi res on the Humevale, Kinglake West and Whitt lesea communiti es. Should the local community chose Toorourrong as a preferred site, Parks Victoria will work with City Of Whitt lesea to incorporate such a place within the park master plan as an integral part of the design. The ti ming of the two projects may not coincide exactly, but the master plan will be able to indicate the likely site for the memorial space and allow details of the space to follow in a subsequent process.

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Guiding Principles

Parks Victoria and Melbourne Water have put together a draft vision for the park and a set of guiding principles which will be a key reference throughout the development of the master plan and into implementati on. This vision and guiding principles have been informed by extensive site analysis and by preliminary discussions with the community and key stakeholders.

Figure 8. Toorourrong Reservoir Park in the 1990s

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Vision

Toorourrong Reservoir Park will be an exemplar contemporary reservoir park. Visitors will be encouraged to refl ect on and celebrate its past forms, values, heritage, stories and associati ons.

The new park landscape will reference its previous character and ambiance while supporti ng sustainable future functi ons.

Its setti ng and faciliti es will provide for universal access and will support a range of experiences to foster community engagement, parti cipati on and ownership of the park

Guiding principles

The following are broad principles which will provide a framework for development and implementati on of the master plan:

Conservati on (Healthy Parks) Recognise, build upon and interpret the existi ng natural values within and surrounding the park;

Protect and interpret the Indigenous and European cultural heritage values on the site;

Comply with the lett er and spirit of approvals granted, parti cularly the Heritage Victoria permit conditi ons;

Reintegrate surplus stone material and other heritage fabric back into the park landscape, ensuring it has a functi onal and enduring purpose;

Reinstate one or more ornamental ponds;

Reference the former landscape character and ambiance of the site.

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Guiding Principles conti nued

Engagement (Healthy People) Seek to understand and reveal the stories, associati ons, features and characteristi cs which have evolved and adapted since 1885;

Establish a park identi ty which refl ects the heritage value of the site while recognising its contemporary context and changing future demands;

Provide a diverse range of visitor opportuniti es, cognisant of the opportuniti es which have att racted visitors in the past and those which are likely to att ract visitors in the future;

Provide opportuniti es for visitors to view and understand the role and history of the reservoir and dam infrastructure;

Make the park appealing to diff erent groups and demographics, parti cularly visitors with mobility issues or special needs, and ethnic groups which have a previous associati on with the park;

Encourage increased parti cipati on and engagement with the broader landscape, complementary to Parks Victoria’s Healthy Parks Healthy People philosophy;

Encourage community ownership through provision of gathering spaces and opportuniti es for parti cipati on;

Figure 9. Toorourrong Reservoir Park in 1964.(photo provided by Stan Dipple)

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Sustainability Develop an integrated interpretati on and signage scheme for the park which both addresses existi ng landscape values, the changes to the heritage fabric and provides park informati on and orientati on;

Develop services and faciliti es which inherently address ecologically sustainable development principles, primarily the need for low maintenance and durable outcomes long term;

Consolidate and make more effi cient the use of services, faciliti es and site infrastructure.

Accessibility and Connecti vity Ensure that the visitor’s experience of arrival, entering and engaging with the park is opti mised;

Provide for adequate access into and within the park to enhance visitor experiences, manage future visitor fl ow and accommodate extended visitor stays;

Ensure that the design refl ects universal design principles;

Promote improved walking and cycling connecti ons into the park;

Provide for effi cient and safe vehicular and pedestrian circulati on networks.

Figure 10. Clear Water aqueduct

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Figure 10. Toorourrong Reservoir Park in 2004 (photo provided by Rosie Moff at)

Local people and others with a love of the park will have the opportunity to help shape the park at three diff erent stages of the planning. Informati on will be generally provided through the local community “Whitt lesea Town Crier” magazine and updates will be sent directly to anyone who adds their contact details to a “Keep Informed/have Your Say” list that can found on Parks Victoria’s website.

1. Recollecti ons In April 2011, Parks Victoria called on people to tell us what was important to you about the park. This will assist us in understanding the essenti al things that people treasured about the park and to carry that character forward in the rebuild.

2. Discussions Parks Victoria will meet with interested community members to outline the changes brought about by the fi res and wall works; and the opportuniti es for the rebuild (likely ti ming: May 2011). Parks Victoria is very aware that the park is a popular place for carers and people with a disability and will be consulti ng directly with some of the local community services staff about what parti cular access needs and how these can be accommodated in the new landscape. The park has been well patronised by large ethnic family groups, and Parks Victoria will be consulti ng directly with some of the multi cultural leaders.

C O M M U N I T YI N V O L V E M E N T

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H A V I N GY O U R

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3. Draft From these discussions, Parks Victoria will develop a draft plan which will be widely displayed for community comment and input. During the six week consultati on period there will be opportuniti es to discuss the plan directly with a member of the planning team. The feedback on the draft plan will be used to shape a fi nal plan (likely ti ming for display of draft June/July 2011)

Resourcing the Rebuild

Parks Victoria will fund replacement of the park faciliti es lost in the fi res using insurance funds. Melbourne Water will fund the reinstatement of any park faciliti es which its dam wall works have aff ected. It is likely that, with improvements to bring faciliti es up to date, these funds won’t cover all the works that will be shown in the master plan and so implementati on of the plan will be staged.

Constructi on

Melbourne Water’s works will be completed in late September 2011 (weather dependent). Parks Victoria’s rebuilding works will then commence with the aim of reopening the park in 2012.

Keep Informed

To be on the mailing list for updates, please provide your contact details via the Parks Victoria Toorourrong website www.parkweb.vic.gov.au

or email your details to toorourrong@parks.vic.gov.au

or phone13 19 63

or post Toorourrong Master Plan, Parks VictoriaLevel 10, 535 Bourke Street Melbourne 3000

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