There are three primary reasons why Council is undertaking this engagement.

1. Over the past 12 months, following the commencement of a trial wetland initiative designed to encourage wildlife within a small section of the precinct, Council has received petitions with conflicting viewpoints as to the desirability of this continuing. We want to understand what the broader community think about the initiative and encouraging wildlife prior to making any decision about a wetland.
2. Council is currently developing a Flood Scoping Study to understand the impacts of flooding within Alexandra and this includes the role that the U.T. Creek / Leckie Park precinct plays within it. That Study considers the flooding impacts, however we also need to consider the other uses of the precinct.
3. The most recent long-term planning for the U.T. Creek / Leckie Park precinct was undertaken nearly 20 years ago, we want to understand the relevancy of that planning work today.

There is no current commitment from Council about making significant changes to the precinct. However, we are always looking for opportunities to make improvements to benefit our community, an example of this is tree planting and weed removals which will continue. This engagement will help us consider opportunities within the precinct and determine what the best course of action is moving forward.

That’s fine. The precinct is well developed and already provides a range of benefits for many people. If you just want to tell us about the things that you enjoy the most that is really valuable – we want to know what works well in addition to what might not be working so well.

The area of land next to the creek and nearby low-lying areas have existing native vegetation. Earlier planning looked to enhance these areas and develop a grassy woodland alongside the creek. In this space, a sparsely treed area with a diversity of bushes, grasses and wildflowers could attract a range of insects, frogs, and birdlife. Many birds need the shelter of shrubs and smaller groundcovers such as grasses and reeds for foraging and shelter. Over many years, council and volunteers have controlled weeds in this area and conducted planting. This planting work would continue in an area around 10 metres both sides of the bank of the creek. Mature trees would remain, except in cases where they may be suckering and causing weeds or causing risks in the park.

The sporting facilities (oval, bowling club, tennis courts, swimming pool) are not a key consideration for this engagement process and there are no plans in place to make any changes, however users of the sporting facilities are welcome to be provide feedback. As our community continues to grow, sporting groups will be engaged directly with to discuss the needs for their sport.

Council is currently developing a Flood Scoping Study for the U.T. Creek Catchment (Alexandra) which will guide further planning and works in relation to the management of the catchment for flooding. The engagement which we are doing now will complement the Flood Scoping Study by informing Council of the uses and value that the community places on the precinct.

We will prepare a summary of the information gathered during the community engagement stage and prepare a summary report, with all your suggestions from the various engagement activities. Your input will help us identify what is important to the community and users of the Precinct.

A report will be presented to Council in February 2024.