Community consultation

In April 2022, we asked our community for suggestions on what to include in the St James Park Master Plan. We invited you to share your thoughts on:

  • why you enjoy visiting St James Park
  • why the park is important to you
  • your favourite areas of the park
  • what you would like to see included in the future.

We heard from 168 community members during community consultation.

You can read the full Consultation Summary Report below.

How we asked for your feedback

  • Drop-in sessions

    We hosted 2 community drop-in sessions at St James Park, where people:

    • met with our landscapers, designers and tree experts to talk about the project
    • took part in an on-site tour of the trees with our arborists
    • shared their feedback in person.

  • Meetings

    We met with different groups in the community, including Hawthorn RSL and local businesses, to better understand their thoughts and needs for the future of the park.

  • Survey

    We heard from 101 community members through our online and printed survey.

  • Online pinned map

    67 participants shared their views on specific areas of the park, including the facilities, activities, trees and signs.

  • On-site tours

    We hosted a walking tour with groups of children from Hawthorn West Primary School to learn the different ways they play and use the park.

What you told us

  • You enjoy using the park for activities such as exercising, sports, relaxation, picnics and walking your dog.

  • You acknowledge and appreciate the park’s history and age.

  • You agree it’s important that we take care of trees for future generations

  • Most community members support the removal of deteriorating trees and renewal of trees.

  • Local residents, nearby workers and families in the Richmond area value the park as a place to relax and retreat from urban life and observe wildlife.

  • Trees & environment

    You want more:

    • climate-resilient planting and native vegetation for wildlife habitats
    • trees to give natural shade at the playground
    • natural vegetation for wildlife
    • specimen trees. A specimen tree has an unusual shape, texture, colour or other feature that makes it different from the other trees and shrubs in the area.

  • Facilities & park furniture

    You want:

    • accessible bench seating and picnic settings, especially at the eastern end of the park, near the oval and playground
    • better drink fountains.

  • Safety

    You want:

    • better lighting along the southern path for safer exercise
    • seating near the play area to make it easier to supervise children.

  • Recreation

    You want:

    • more facilities for active, informal sport, such as playing on a basketball court
    • to turn the petanque green area into a mix of recreation and green space, such as a small basketball area, outdoor learning area or fitness activities space.

The pétanque green space

Out of 100 people:

  • 46% supported a space that is open to the public and can be used for active recreation, such as a half basketball court and grassy area
  • 38% supported a ‘green’ space that is open to the public and features lawns, trees and seating
  • 21% supported leasing the space to Hawthorn Bowling Club.

This total adds to 105% as a small number of participants suggested their own idea for the space, which included a mix of recreation uses.

The former pétanque green has not been used since the Camberwell Pétanque Club relocated in 2011.

With more people living in Boroondara, there’s a greater need for open spaces in our community. This under-used area gives us an opportunity to turn it into a recreational space for everyone to enjoy.

Before we developed the draft master plan, we spoke with heritage experts to see which design options would make sure the future use of the pétanque green doesn’t change the park’s historic character.

We then shared 3 options to understand how you would like to use the pétanque green in the future.

If the pétanque green is leased, people with a club membership or who hire the event space will have exclusive access to the area. This means this key feature of the park will not be available to the general public to use for free.

As outlined in the master plan, the former pétanque space at St James Park will be opened up for everyone’s use based on your feedback.

In the original consultation, we heard your top preference is to build a half basketball court in this space. There is enough space for several more activities to be included in this area, and we invite you to share your thoughts on these options in the consultation.