Parks & Recreation Newsletter July 2008

The City of ’s extensive network of parks and gardens contributes to Melbourne’s title as one of the world’s ‘most liveable cities’. Ranging from gardens with classic 19th century heritage features and majestic tree avenues, to the 170-hectare Royal Park with its unique bushland landscape and wetlands habitat, Melbourne offers a variety of open spaces for the 14 million visitors who use its parks each year.

Contents 2 Parks 3 Trees and Wildlife 4 Sports and Recreation 5 Swimming and recreation centres 6 Walking, cycling and skating 7 Permits 22 3 Parks Trees & wildlife

The parks and gardens are available for use The Council will: by the community and offer a wide range of •  Protect historic parks, gardens avenues, facilities. These include sporting pavilions and and significant trees as identified in the fields, barbecues, playgrounds and general conservation studies, and in Aboriginal areas for all sorts of recreational uses. Affairs studies;

Some spaces can also be booked for private • Protect and enhance the avenues of events ranging from weddings to corporate existing exotic trees along Royal Parade, functions. Flemington Road, Elizabeth Street, St Kilda Road, and Southbank Boulevard; Park rangers patrol the parks, gardens and reserves to assist park visitors, assess the • Ensure that changes to historic landscapes safety of park activities and to protect the and features only occur as a result of fully parks. considered and agreed Master Plans;

Providing the backdrop for many events and • Manage buildings monuments and other fun activities, Melbourne’s open spaces always features of individual significance in provide something to see and do. parks following the highest standards of conservation, giving consideration to their impact on the landscapes of which they Guide to parks form part; and Melbourne’s parks offer a wonderful range in environmental sustainability. Trees improve • Produce and distribute interpretive of opportunities for you to make the most of air quality by trapping dust, absorbing carbon Park maps for event bookings information to help people understand your leisure time. dioxide, and other gaseous pollutants and and appreciate heritage issues. producing oxygen. They moderate extremes With a network of nearly 480 hectares of Name Suburb Melway Ref temperatures by reducing the intensity of internationally acclaimed parks and gardens, Alexandra cold winds in winter and shading buildings in Wildlife there is something to suit everyone’s lifestyle. Melbourne 2F J7 Gardens summer. Melbourne’s parks and gardens are home to Visit Cooks’ Cottage at Gardens, hear the Birrarung a wide variety of native Australian animals. field of 39 electronic bells at Birrarung Melbourne 1B S11 Marr Tree management In daylight hours park visitors can expect Marr, attend a concert at the Sidney to see and hear many different native and Carlton Tree management in the Music Bowl at or simply relax Carlton 2B H11 introduced birds. under a shady tree at any one of the City of Gardens is undertaken through an integrated Melbourne’s parks. approach that combines planning, contract From early morning the black and white Fawkner Park South Yarra 2L C6 management and contract implementation. Magpie Larks (or Pee Wees), which are about half the size of Magpies, and common in all Fitzroy East Strategies include: Parks bookings 2G C2 the city parks, feed busily on insects in the Gardens Melbourne Permits are available for a variety of activities • Long-term Park Planting Plans; lawns and gardens. They are often seen in Flagstaff in the City of Melbourne’s parks and gardens, Central 2F A2 • Tree Replacement Strategies for avenues; pairs, with the male easily identified by the Gardens appearance of a white ‘eyebrow’ marking including: • Fig Psyllid Strategy; JJ Holland on his head with black plumage around the • Garden weddings; Kensington 2T H7 Park • Elm Leaf Beetle Strategy; and beak, while the female’s beak is encircled with • Conservatory functions (); Kings • Dutch Elm Disease Contingency Plan. white feathers. Melbourne 2F K10 • Activities and events; and Domain • For information on these documents, Towards evening large flocks of colourful, • Seasonal sports please contact the noisy Rainbow Lorikeets search for roosting Carlton 2B D1 • Due to water restrictions there will be no City of Melbourne on 9658 9658. sites. casual sport bookings taken until further Queen VIC Nocturnal birds such as the Tawny Frogmouths notice. Melbourne 2F H8 Gardens Heritage protection for trees and various species of owl have also been For further information contact our Events observed, while a number of different species Royal Park Parkville 2A K2 Many features found in Melbourne’s parks and Bookings team on 9658 9658. of frogs can be heard calling in damp areas and gardens are of heritage and historical Tree-lined boulevards and stunning parks Shrine near ponds. Melbourne 2K J1 significance. The City of Melbourne has the and gardens are without question one of Reserve responsibility of ensuring that the character Possums are probably the most well known Melbourne’s greatest assets, complementing Treasury East and appearance of historic parks, gardens, of the nocturnal park dwellers, both the 2G A3 the city’s buildings, streetscapes, parks and Gardens Melbourne landscaping, avenues and trees is protected Common Brushtail Possum and the Common gardens. Ringtail Possum sleep during daylight hours East and enhanced. 2G E7 and leave their nests in the trees to feed after More than 55 000 trees also play a vital role Melbourne dusk. 4 5 Sports & Recreation Swimming Centres

Feeding of any animals in Melbourne’s The City of Melbourne is home to the parks and gardens is strongly discouraged, Melbourne City Baths, one of the city’s most particularly possums and water birds such as stunning buildings. As well as the historic ducks, as human food is detrimental to their baths, Melbourne City Baths also boasts one health and they become dependent on this of the largest and most diverse ranges of supplementary food supply. services, activities, equipment and programs on offer in the heart of the city. From international events such as the Formula One Grand Prix to peaceful rowing at dawn Other pools and recreation centres in the City on the , Melbourne truly offers of Melbourne municipality include Carlton something for everyone when it comes to drivers in the world. Due to the impact of the drought, all City Baths Community Centre, North Melbourne sports and recreation. But it’s not just elite Held in early March, the Australian Formula of Melbourne sports grounds are currently Pool, Kensington Community Recreation performers that define sporting Melbourne – One Grand Prix attracts thousands of closed for casual events, casual sports and Centre and Richmond Football Club participation is as important as watching. interstate and overseas visitors to Melbourne. ongoing pre-season training. There will also Community Pool. be some limitations placed on grounds for The City of Melbourne manages and supports All the centres offer a range of services, For more information seasonal clubs who are allocated facilities hundreds of clubs, courts and sports grounds programs and facilities. visit www.grandprix.com.au during the winter season. catering for players of basketball, football, rugby, tennis, golf, soccer, athletics and much Melbourne City Baths more. Spring Racing Carnival Melbourne City Baths is a total health, fitness For more information on sports and Held in October and November every year, the and wellbeing centre. recreational facilities around the city go to Spring Racing Carnival is Australia’s premier Sports and recreation directory. horse racing season. Set in a beautiful and historically significant More than 650,000 people attend events over building, the Melbourne City Baths boasts Major sporting events 15 carnival days, including the premier horse one of the largest and most diverse ranges of race that stops all of Australia, the Melbourne services, activities, equipment and programs Melbourne is home to international and Cup. on offer in the heart of the city. domestic sporting events on a grand scale. For more information visit www. Melbourne City Baths aims to promote Major events include the Australian Open, springracingcarnival.com.au an awareness of the benefits of a healthy the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, the lifestyle and to provide quality opportunities Australian Rules Grand Final and the Spring to enhance the health, fitness and wellbeing Racing Carnival, featuring one of the world’s Australian Tennis Open of the people who work, live, study and visit richest horseracing events, the Melbourne January in Melbourne is synonymous with the City of Melbourne. Cup. tennis. To find out more or to view timetable More than half a million visitors watch the information, visit www.melbournecitybaths. Australian Rules Football (AFL) world’s best tennis players battle it out over com.au AFL football, or ‘Aussie Rules’, is the home- two weeks at the on the grown football code in Australia. The AFL banks of the Yarra River. Carlton Baths Community premiership competition is played in Victoria, For more information visit www.ausopen.org Centre New South Wales, Queensland, South Carlton Baths Community Centre houses Australia and Western Australia, beginning in a multi-sport stadium, gym, group fitness March every year and finishing in September. Major venues studio, spa and sauna as well as a seasonal • (MCG) Almost six million people follow the outdoor heated pool. premiership season and more than 100,000 • Telstra Dome The stadium hosts netball and soccer people attend the AFL Grand Final at the • Melbourne and Olympic Parks competitions and can also be hired for Melbourne Cricket Ground each year. • Sports ground hire badminton, basketball, handball and more. For more information visit www.afl.com.au Enjoy the benefits of the gym, group fitness Sports ground closures classes including boxing circuits, yoga, Australian Formula One Grand The City of Melbourne has a wide range of pilates and Les Mills Body Pump, the spa and Prix sports grounds to accommodate a variety of sauna as well as classes in tae kwon do and feldenkrais. Every year the leafy Melbourne suburb of community sports, from football to baseball. Albert Park and a few kilometres of roads Each year the Council issues permits for more (Sub Heading) Kensington Community are transformed into a thrilling 5.3-kilometre than 70 sports grounds across Melbourne. motor racing circuit to test the greatest 6 7 Walking,cycling Permits & skating

Recreation Centre Cycling The Kensington Community Recreation Centre Melbourne is Australia’s only capital city with features a 25m swimming pool, a children’s an extensive network of dedicated bike lanes learning pool, and a toddlers play pool with on the roads. Bike lanes increase safety and water features, all located in a fantastic encourage bicycle use. There are also plenty of indoor setting. bicycle parking in and around the city, with 1215 It also has a multi-purpose sports hall bicycle hoops throughout the municipality. equipped with hydraulic basketball rings, Cyclists riding in and out of the CBD on business netball goals, indoor soccer goals and days are increasingin number. volleyball net. It can be used as an indoor cricket venue. The hall is available to hire for A Council survey in February 2005 during casual hire. morning peak hour at major intersections counted 5,744 cyclists passing through the CBD • Fitzroy/Treasury Gardens (2.20 km) North Melbourne Pool As Melbourne continues to grow, the focus Bicycle Victoria undertook a full day count in will grow on increasing the use of sustainable • Kings Domain/Tan Track (3.85 km) Swanston Street and counted 2,400 cyclists, The centre has four pools: forms of transport – walking, cycling and • Princes Park (2.09 km) which projects to 12,000 per day in the CBD. • an eight-lane, 25m outdoor heated pool; public transport. • Princes Park (3.17 km) • a toddlers’ pool; The ideal transport network will sustain our • Royal Park (3.81 km) Skating in the city • wading pool; and economic prosperity, our quality of life, and • Royal/Princes Park (10.44 km) Skaters are welcome in the City of Melbourne. have minimal impact on the environment. • an infant splash pool. • Yarra Park (3.33 km) Sharing busy city streets with others can be Public transport, bicycles and walking are The pool is closed during the winter season tricky, especially when trying to dodge shoppers, becoming more popular modes of transport, between 1 May and 30 September. prams, pets and small children. The City of with Australian Bureau of Statistics Journey Melbourne has guidelines for skaters and other The centre also has a personal training studio to Work data (2001) showing a 7 per cent footpath users, to help avoid conflict (or worse, for programmed gym circut classes and offers decline in car dependency. collisions) on our streets. aquatic and dry programs including yoga and Between 1997 and 2003, the number of pilates. It also has a conference room, café cyclists has also generally increased on inner- and barbecue facilities. Riverslide Skatepark city roads, especially on those in and out of the CBD, where the number has doubled. The Riverslide Skatepark, in the Alexandra Richmond Football Club Gardens, is a five-minute skate from Flinders Community Pool Walks and tours Street Railway Station. The 25m pool, opened in July 2003, is used Riverslide has 1800m2 of skating surfaces and is What better way to see Melbourne’s parks by Richmond Football Club for training and the biggest skate park in the inner city. The park and gardens than by taking rehabilitation regimes but is available for was designed in consultation with skaters, and public use. a walk, run or cycle along the city’s network has a street-skating focus so you can test your of tracks and paths? stuff on ramps and fun-boxes. The four-lane facility is managed by Klim Swim and offers a comprehensive ‘Learn to Join the joggers and walkers on the famous Swim’ program, designed by experts including Tan Track around the Royal Botanic Gardens Filming Melbourne Michael Klim himself and program manager on the edge of the CBD or take a leisurely Melbourne is one of Australia’s premier Glenn Baker (Australian Rookie Coach of the self-guided tour of the Fitzroy and Treasury locations for filming, and it’s not hard to see Year 2002). Gardens. why. From a contemporary city skyline to There is ample parking. The City of Melbourne has 10 signposted historical architecture, from magnificent parks jogging and walking tracks through some of and gardens to a sea view, Melbourne has it all! the city’s finest parks and gardens. The City of Melbourne welcomes more than 300 Ten fun and interesting walking and jogging filming companies each year. tracks can be enjoyed at the following locations: Parking • Fawkner Park (2.34 km) You will need to apply online www.melbourne. • Fawkner Park (2.45 km) vic.gov.au for the following permits: • Fawkner Park/Shrine Reserve (6.21 km) • Resident Priority Parking City of

• Reserved Parking • State Disabled Parking Scheme • Disabled City Access Scheme • Medical Practitioner Parking • Pedestrian Area Access & Parking

Parks and recreation You will need to apply online www. melbourne.vic.gov.au for the following permits: • Garden Weddings