Thank you to everyone who shared feedback on the Sir Zelman Cowen Park Sport and Recreation Plan.

Community engagement was open from 13 October to 30 November 2025 and included an online survey, stakeholder sessions and background research.

We are now reviewing community feedback alongside technical assessments, benchmarking and site analysis to inform the draft Sport and Recreation Plan.

Below is a summary of what we heard.

More than 400 community members shared feedback about Sir Zelman Cowen Park, a highly valued community asset where organised sport, open space and everyday recreation come together. Most visit at least twice a week and spend more than an hour there each visit.

What the community loves about the park

What needs to improve

While the park is well loved, community feedback was clear that facilities and amenities are under pressure and no longer meeting the needs of a growing community. You also told us that growing participation is placing increasing pressure on the park, with fields, pavilions and parking increasingly stretched to meet demand from existing user groups.

There was also strong feedback about protecting the park's open, natural character as improvements are considered.

Looking ahead

The community wants a park that:

• Supports growing participation across all sports and age groups
• Remains welcoming and accessible to everyone
• Protects and enhances the natural environment
• Maintains the open, community feel that makes it special

What happens next

We are currently drafting the Sport and Recreation Plan and Implementation Plan, informed by:

• community feedback
• stakeholder consultation
• site condition assessments
• benchmarking and research.

The draft Plan will be released for public exhibition prior to being endorsed by Council. We'll update this page when it's ready for your feedback.

To meet the needs of current and future users, the Sport and Recreation Plan will set a long-term vision for Sir Zelman Cowen Park in Kooyong guiding its activation over the next 10 years through facilities, programs, partnerships and sustainable practices to ensure it is future-ready.

Sir Zelman Cowen Park is a highly used sports and recreation precinct along the Gardiners Creek Trail. The area is heavily used on weekends and after school, with organised sports that cater for the community and school groups. The Park is also used for exercise, dog walking and passive recreation.

The Plan will align with the Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) Masterplan, which was developed in consultation with the community in 2020. It seeks to enhance environmental health, biodiversity and support recreation along the Gardiners Creek corridor. Previous consultation on the Masterplan can be seen here. The Plan will support the implementation of Zone 2 of Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) Masterplan.

The Park features five sportsfields, covering approximately 47,500 m2, that currently accommodate organised sport for football (soccer), Australian rules football, baseball, cricket, athletics, and ultimate frisbee. These are supported by two pavilions, floodlighting and other infrastructure such as goal posts, safety nets and batting cages.

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