Project information

In September 2020, Council adopted the Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) Masterplan that sets the vision for the revitalisation of the Gardiners Creek corridor through revegetation and biodiversity improvements, water sensitive urban design, shared path upgrades and enhancing opportunities for active and passive recreation.

The Masterplan area extends 8.7km from where Gardiners Creek meets the Yarra River in Kooyong through to Warrigal Road in Malvern East and, as well as the creek itself, takes in significant passive and active recreation spaces such as Sir Zelman Cowen Park and sportsgrounds, Tooronga Park, Gardiner Park, Glenburn Bend Park, TH King Oval, Glen Iris Wetlands, Glen Iris Park, East Malvern Tennis Club, and Darling Park.

Due to the scale and diverse use of spaces within the Gardiners Creek master plan area site specific concepts designs were developed based on geographic zones:

Zone 1 – Monash Freeway

Zone 2 – Sir Zelman Cowen Park

Zone 3 – Tooronga Park

Zone 4 – Tooronga Road to Burke Road

Zone 5 – Burke Road to Elm Road

Zone 6 – Glenburn Bend Park

Zone 7 – TH King and Glen Iris wetlands

Zone 8 – Darling Park (Dunlop Street to Winton Road)

Since adopting the Gardiners Creek master plan, Council secured a parcel of land from the Malvern East RSL that has been developed into a temporary park.

The land is on Basil Street between the RSL and the creek, and it makes sense to include it in the larger long-term Gardiners Creek project. To do so, with your help we’ll develop a master plan for the future of the Basil Street land that will complement other works planned under the Gardiners Creek Zone 8 implementation.

You can have your say here

The Gardiners Creek Trail, a significant shared user path connecting to the city and popular with both commuters and recreational users, is fully funded and will be delivered in stages, starting with the section between Dunlop Street and Winton Road in 2025/26.

Delivering the projects within the Gardiners Creek master plan will happen progressively over several years.

We currently have funding for:

Zone 2B – Talbot Crescent – construction expected 2025-2026.

Gardiners Creek Trail (shared user path) – fully funded and to be delivered in stages, starting with the section between Dunlop Street and Winton Road in 2024/25. The plan will include:

  • Widening of the existing Shared User Path to between 3m and 4m width
  • Providing a consistent surface profile
  • Installing ecologically sensitive lighting
  • New wayfinding, signage and line-marking/surface treatment
  • Barrier fencing of steep slopes
  • Drainage upgrades
  • Furniture installation (including seating, drinking fountains, and maintenance stations).
  • Additional maintenance (e.g. tree uplift)

Zones currently without funding will be programmed as soon as funding becomes available.

What we heard

The Gardiners Creek (Kooyongkoot) Masterplan was endorsed in 2020. In 2024, community consultation was held to help shape the concept designs before moving into detailed design.

Both the Masterplan and Implementation documents present spatial information and concepts through a series of ‘zones’ (numbered 1 to 8 from west to east). The 2024 consultation comprised the following lines of enquiry:

  • Zones 2B (Talbot Crescent) and Zone 3 (Tooronga Park) – Community engagement and survey
  • Zones 1, 2A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – Community engagement (high-level*)
  • Zone 8a – Basil Street Masterplan - Community engagement and survey
  • Shared User Path Upgrade – Inform community

*high-level engagement is online and on-site feedback only – no targeted surveys undertaken to date.

Consultation was promoted through more than 600 letter-drop brochures, 20 on-site posters, social media posts, e-newsletters, and online content.

Feedback was collected via the online interactive website, an online and paper-copy survey, direct emails and phone calls, and a drop-in session at Tooronga Park.

The consultation website received over 6,700 views and 232 direct contributions, 71 of which specifically referred to Zone 3 - Tooronga Park. This was partly due to a media article that incorrectly stated Council planned to revoke the dog-off-lead area, prompting additional public responses about Zone 3.

Key themes

The following themes were identified throughout the consultation:

  • Safety

    Safe crossings and pathways, lighting, flood mitigation, shared spaces

  • Cultural values

    Signage and art celebrating ecological and cultural stories

  • Activation

    Accessible amenities such as toilets, fitness and play areas, dog-off-leash spaces

  • Biodiversity

    Native planting, shade, clean-up efforts to improve and create habitat

  • Connectivity

    Improved access, but safety concerns for cyclists and pedestrians noted

For the fully surveyed zones, the following feedback was received:

  • Zone 2B - Talbot Crescent Habitat Park

    • 69% of respondents supported delivering the concept design in its current form.
    • Strong support for the biodiversity elements, including native planting, habitat creation, and water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) features such as a raingarden.
    • Mixed support for activation features, including BBQ facilities and fitness equipment in this location.

  • Zone 3 - Tooronga Park

    • 49% of respondents supported delivering the concept design in its current form.
    • Strong support for biodiversity elements, including tree planting and habitat creation.
    • Strong support for improvements that enhance accessibility and safety, such as lighting and pathway upgrades.
    • Mixed feedback about the proposed water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) wetland and activation spaces that use existing lawn areas, including concerns about impacts on dog off-lead areas.

What's next?

  • Feedback will inform detailed design for each zone.
  • Ongoing updates will be shared on Connect Stonnington. Click ‘Follow’ at the top of the page to stay informed.

Community engagement

Have your say

We want to know your thoughts on concept designs we’ve developed as the first step to implementing the Gardiners Creek master plan. What we hear now will help us deliver improvements to reinvigorate and enhance this important waterway and community recreation zone.

Please click on the relevant zone to view concept documentation and to provide written feedback. Interactive surveys are also available for the following zones - Zone 2(b) Talbot Crescent and Zone 3 - Tooronga Park. These surveys can also be accessed via the links below.

Please note that each of the zones is at a different stage of design resolution. For example Zone 1 is primarily an advocacy package, whereas Zone 3 concept has been developed with an intent to shortly progress to detailed design.

Feedback is welcomed on as many of the zones as you choose – be it specific feedback on your local reserve or a vested interest in the broader health of the creek. All feedback is welcomed.

Zone 1 – Monash Freeway

Zone 2 – Sir Zelman Cowen Park

Zone 3 – Tooronga Park

Zone 4 – Tooronga Road to Burke Road

Zone 5 – Burke Road to Elm Road

Zone 6 – Glenburn Bend Park

Zone 7 – TH King and Glen Iris wetlands

Zone 8 – Darling Park (Dunlop Street to Winton Road)

Gardiners Creek Trail (shared user path)

We’ve prepared concept designs for the eight zones that span the master plan corridor. Travel along the map from left to right (west to east) to view the zones and the aspirations for each.


Key:

Zones with a green text bubble icon do not currently have funding. We invite you to have your say.

Zones with a blue document icon currently have funding. Formal feedback is now open.

This refers to the Gardiners Creek Trail (shared user path). We invite you to have your say.



Click on the icon to find out more information and provide feedback

Privacy Statement

The personal information requested in this survey is being collected by Council for the purpose of community consultation.

To find out how your personal information will be used by Council please visit the privacy policy page.

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