Cardinia Shire Council
Emerald Lake Park
Strategic plan 2013–18
Prepared by:
Cardinia Shire Council
Sustainable Communities Unit
Published October 2013
© Cardinia Shire Council 2013
(ABN: 32 210 906 807)
Henty Way, Pakenham
PO Box 7, Pakenham Vic 3810
Phone: 1300 787 624
Fax: (03) 5941 3784
Email:
Web: www.cardinia.vic.gov.au
Contents
Executive summary 4
Introduction to the park 6
Plan methodology and consultation 7
Tourism strategy 9
Park operations – existing conditions 10
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats 13
Major issues 16
Advocacy 17
Puffing billy railway – discovery centreproposal 18
Future directions 19
Role of the park 20
Management plan 21
Five–year capital development plan 23
Executive summary
Emerald Lake Park is a unique balance between a main recreation and outdoor space for local residents and a key tourist destination. The park land has been in public ownership since 1940 and used for public recreation since this time.
The recent public consultation process confirmed that the park should continue as a key tourist visitor destination as well as retain its role as the main recreational park and outdoor space for local residents. All stakeholders agreed that the natural features, heritage and tranquillity of the park are highly valued and that the current combination (or balance between) commercial and natural attractions can be sustained in the future with a more planned approach to the upgrade and development of facilities within the park, as well as strategies to increase the use of the park. The following park vision has been developed to guide the strategic direction of the park.
Emerald Lake Park aims to become a quality regional park that provides a unique natural, historical and recreational park experience for local residents and visitors from the region, greater Melbourne and beyond. Through sustainable maintenance efforts and sensitive development, the park will continue to offer appropriate recreation and leisure activities, events and amenities for locals and visitors.
To achieve the park’s vision, a management plan has been developed detailing objectives andactions.
The objectives contained in the draft plan are to:
· manage park operations efficiently and effectively
· ensure the ongoing maintenance of recreation and environmental values established for thepark
· manage the commercial operations at the park in a fair and equitable manner
· encourage and support community and stakeholder involvement at the park
· provide an appropriate range of passive and active recreational opportunities to enhance visitor enjoyment and appreciation of the park
· develop and improve the park’s infrastructure to a standard now expected in a regional park
· improve the park, path signage to better promote the adjoining Nobelius Heritage Park
· ensure that risks to visitors are minimised and appropriate risk management is undertaken
· actively promote the park to increase visitation and events
· optimise revenue streams to help offset the costs of operating the park.
A five-year capital development plan has been established detailing works planned to provide ongoing improvements to the park. The capital development plan will focus on basic infrastructure requirements and does not include the cost of any major additional facilities that may be considered for the park in future years that would require external funds toward the cost. The works shown in the five-year development plan generally reflect the priorities identified through the consultation process.
In 2010, Council was successful in securing an Australian Government grant of $500,000 (dollar –for-dollar funding) to provide upgrades of over $1 million to the park. Further details of the works undertaken are outlined later in the review.
In 2012, a $600,000 State Government grant was secured for weed eradication for the park. Funding and works will occur over a four year period. Further detail on the works to be undertaken is outlined later in the review.
The existing operations maintenance budget will continue to fund maintenance items such as, tree and garden bed maintenance, weed management and general repair and maintenance works of park facilities including the wading pool, buildings, toilets, barbecues, roads and paths.
Council will actively seek additional grants and opportunities to expand the range of activities through the implementation of the Emerald Lake Park strategic plan 2013–18.
Introduction to the park
Emerald Lake Park is located in Emerald, in the Dandenong Ranges, approximately 45 km south-east of Melbourne. The park covers 50 ha and includes bushland and parkland (oaks, beeches, chestnuts, liquidambars and maples) forming passive recreation areas surrounding two man-made lakes; Lake Treganowan and Lake Nobelius. It is close to Emerald township, is served by the narrow-gauge railway ‘Puffing Billy’ and is an important recreational asset to the Emerald community and Cardinia Shire.
The park features a network of formed pathways and over 15 km of bush walking trails (some beside the two creeks that flow through the park), barbecue facilities and picnic shelters, amphitheatres, children’s play equipment, fitness station, kiosk, model railway display, cafe/tea rooms, arboretums and environmental information centre. A children’s wading pool caters for summer use and paddle boats are available for hire on the lake. The Emerald Museum and Nobelius Heritage Park (formerly part of the total nursery property) are located at the western end of the park.
Nobelius Heritage Park and Emerald Lake park are connected by a number of walking paths, the main path being the Emerald–Cockatoo Trail or the multi-use trail. The two parks are linked in their history although each park has a very distinctive character. The two parks have been run independently in the past although both areas are managed by Council.
During the 1890s, the area was bought by Carl Axel Nobelius with the intention of it forming part of his plant nursery holdings. The area was filled with native trees and shrubs that covered its steep slopes. By the early 1900s, CA Nobelius had the land cleared and in its place planted ornamental and fruit trees for the local market and export. The land was eventually established as part of the largest plant nursery in the southern hemisphere before Nobelius died in 1921. After this time the land was sold to a syndicate (consisting of Dr William Bottomley, William Treganowan and Bertie Sellars Stilwell) which continued the nursery production for around 20 years. A dam/lake on the property was used by residents for swimming before the land was officially developed as a park in 1939.
The park section was acquired by the former Shire of Ferntree Gully and was officially opened to the public in 1940. The park has been used for public recreation since that time and is one of the designated stops (Lakeside Station) of the Puffing Billy which runs on its original tracks from Belgrave to Gembrook. The multi-use trail from Emerald to Cockatoo passes through Emerald Lake Park as one of its features.
Plan methodology and consultation
This plan has been developed by Council based on the Emerald Lake Park strategic plan 2006–10 with input from key stakeholders, the Friends of Emerald Lake Park, the Emerald Lake Park Advisory Group and park users via a survey.
The following key points were noted from a survey on park visitation conducted in mid-2012;
· Visitors were predominately family groups (53%), couples (9%), family and friends (12%). The size of groups was mostly between two and 10 people.
· The main reasons for visiting the park were walking (46%), Puffing Billy (41%), picnic (30%) and attractions (16 %)
· Means of transport to the park were train (20%) car (72%), foot (4%) and coach (4%)
· South-eastern outer Melbourne including Cardinia Shire was the largest single source of visitors (70%), followed by outer eastern Melbourne (25%) and Yarra Ranges Shire (4%).
· Likelihood of revisiting within 12 months; very likely (70%) and fairly likely (13%), very unlikely (13%)
*figures are based on information collated from Survey Monkey
A full summary of the survey results are found in Appendix 1.
Given that the propensity to use the park is related to location, the survey suggests that the outer south-eastern and eastern family and affinity group markets offer the most potential to visit and spend. The visitors who offer the most direct revenue to Council, as the park’s prime operator, in straight financial terms are those who travel by car and pay parking fees.
Parks Victoria, Department of Sustainability and Emerald Tourist Railway Board (Puffing Billy) were consulted in undertaking the review.
Parks Victoria referred requests for information to DSE. DSE advised “that they were not aware of any developments in the region that should be considered in the review, and that management of this freehold land is outside the scope of DSE’s legislative and statutory responsibilities”.
Puffing Billy wrote to Council advising:
The future strategy of Puffing Billy Railway is currently based around a two ended railway running into the middle i.e. Belgrave to Gembrook running through Emerald Lake Park.
The strategy recognises the need for creating a sustainable railway into the future and therefore raising potential revenue. The current patronage of 267,272 pax (129,441 travel to Lakeside) is likely to rise to 375,000 in the next 10 years and therefore there is a requirement both to increase yield and spread the load. This will require more off season patronage as well as increasing Lakeside to Gembrook patronage, currently only 10% of our overall patronage figures.
To this end, Puffing Billy is seeking funding to build a Discovery Centre on the railway. The preferred site is Emerald Lake Park but this will require both successful negotiation with Council in regard to lease arrangements as well as a successful public planning process.
There are alternative sites available to Puffing Billy; however this will potentially change the overall strategy of the Railway with the Railway remaining Belgrave centric.
Funding recently received ($4.4 million) has been allocated by Treasury for “essential maintenance and safety” improvements/infrastructure work, however this does not interfere with our overall plan for construction of a Discovery Centre in year 4-5 of the 5 year plan. It is therefore anticipated that negotiations with Council will continue with some form of presentation taking place to the new Council following elections this year, and a consultation program with the public being agreed upon with Council prior to application for a detailed planning permit.
The focus of Lakeside as the principal destination for the Railway does, and will, remain our first priority in the future strategic direction of the Railway.
Tourism strategy
The draft tourism strategy for Council regularly refers to Emerald Lake Park and further developing partnerships with external providers such as Puffing Billy Railway.
The Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market is a growing segment for Destination Melbourne at 7 per cent. The tourism strategy focuses on this segment specifically as an avenue for growth in Cardinia Shire’s tourism market. As most visitors to the park are with friends and relatives, the growth in this market should in time, translate into growing numbers and benefit Emerald Lake Park.
Emerald Lake Park also features in the Tourism Strategy SWOT analysis and other sections of the strategy, under what is required to grow tourism offerings within the Cardinia Shire.
What is required: Emerald Lake Park development plan - ongoing implementation.
Emerald Lake Park and Puffing Billy Railway also feature as one of the existing product strengths within Cardinia Shire.
Existing product strengths
Family attractions – Puffing Billy, Emerald Lake Park…
Puffing Billy
The draft Tourism Strategy specifically points to further developing a partnership with Puffing Billy Railway, the following is an extract from the Strategy: also recommendation #7 states:
“Continue working with Puffing Billy in regards to their business development program.
Puffing Billy is clearly Cardinia Shire’s major tourist drawcard attracting some 267,000 visitors each year. Although the busiest section lies west of the Cardinia Shire boundary, a significant proportion of the operation lies within Cardinia Shire.
Given the state significance of Puffing Billy as a major tourist attraction, it is important for Cardinia Shire to have a cooperative relationship with the management of Puffing Billy rail for the following reasons:
Continued expansion of the scheduled services from Menzies Creek station to Gembrook
Incorporation of the ‘Hills Villages’ businesses in that expansion.
Park operations – existing conditions
Management
Emerald Lake Park is operated directly by Council through two departments. The Operations Department is responsible for the physical management of the park and the Sustainable Communities Department is responsible for marketing and the management of commercial contracts and leases granted at the park.
Council staff, supplemented by additional casual staff during the peak periods, deal with all on-site issues and the majority of works on site, including cleaning of shelters, weed removal, tree pruning and clear up, collection of monies from parking machines, responding to in-person and telephone information requests from the public, and general supervision. Some services are delivered externally, including pool operations, grass cutting and security patrols.
The park staffing is rostered so that there is at least one ranger in attendance at all times the park is open to the public.
Other Council departments also have minor responsibilities for particular aspects of the parkincluding:
· Compliance Services for enforcement of local laws relating to behaviour and parking.
· Environment and Heritage for the maintenance of heritage and environmental values of the park and is also responsible for the adjoining Nobelius Heritage Park.
· Buildings and facilities for building maintenance, cleaning of toilets and barbecues.
· Community Risk and Emergency Management for managing risk issues at the park.
· Communications – assistance with marketing and promotion.
Operation of the park is subject to all relevant Council policies, including critical areas such as occupational health and safety and organisational development policies in respect of training anddevelopment.
The park is currently open during the following times: 18 December –14 March, 8am–8pm; 15 March–30 April, 9am–6pm; 1 May–30 September; 9am–4.30pm; 1 October–17 December, 9am–6pm. Entry to the park is free, however car parking fees apply. Fees are currently $2 for two hours and $6 for all day.