About the upgrade

Willsmere Park in Kew East is an important community sport and recreational space. The existing pavilion is in poor condition and doesn’t meet the needs of the sports clubs or the broader community.

The pavilion is used by:

• 2 junior soccer clubs
• one junior cricket club
• ultimate frisbee teams.

There are no plans to increase the level of activity or the number of sports clubs using the oval and the pavilion won't be available to hire for social events like parties.

We are proposing to upgrade the changerooms, public toilet and other facilities in the existing pavilion. We are also proposing to build a new fit-for-purpose, single-storey pavilion next to the existing pavilion, with improved accessibility and better amenities for everyone’s enjoyment.

Additional car parking will help to address parking concerns previously raised by residents, with 16 new car parks added to the existing car park.

We plan to keep the existing pavilion open while the new pavilion is being built. Willsmere Park, including the playground, will still be accessible outside of the construction zone. After the new pavilion is complete, we will start works to upgrade the existing pavilion.

This project is in line with our Development and Funding of Community Pavilions - Sport and Recreation Policy and our Boroondara Community Plan 2021-2031. We have an allocated budget of $3.8m over the 2023–24 and 2024–25 financial years in our Council Budget 2022–23.

We are planning for the renewal works for Willsmere Park pavilion to start in late 2023.

The new pavilion

The new pavilion will include:

• 2 unisex change rooms and amenities
• 2 umpires’ rooms (including one accessible room)
• a first aid room
• storage facilities
• a multipurpose community space/social room
• solar panels.

Design

The design of the new pavilion building has been carefully considered. To minimise visual impact, the height of the new building is proposed to match the height of the existing building. We will ensure a natural look and feel, using an organic colour palette and sustainable building materials to tie in with the surroundings.

Location

We have carefully selected the location of the new pavilion based on:

• existing flood levels (with the Yarra River located at the end of the park). The location of new pavilion maintains the free passage of flood waters and will not cause any significant rise in flood level
• location of the sports fields
• wheelchair accessibility and car parking
• ensuring minimal impact on sightlines, by carefully considering the height of the new building
• minimal impact on surrounding trees. We are proposing to remove 5 deteriorating trees, however, we will replace these in another location in the park.

Parking

We are proposing to add 16 new car parks to the existing car park area next to Willow Grove. This will provide a total of 31 car parks. The design also builds on existing car parking infrastructure, which will minimise any impact on the open space reserve.

Access

Improved accessibility is a key focus of the proposed design. We will provide an accessible public toilet that will be open 7 days a week.

We will create accessible car parking and a drop-off zone close to the pavilions, which will be connected with a ramp.

In between the existing pavilion and the new pavilion, there will be a landscaped community space with an accessible pathway and ramp connecting both buildings. We will also include seating and gathering spaces for the community to enjoy.

Our proposed design

Site plan of the new pavilion social room, viewing area and solar panels

Select the Hotspots below to learn more.

Floor plan of the new pavilion, existing pavilion and sportsgrounds

The red circles on the map below indicate the location of the deteriorating trees that we need to remove.

Select the Hotspots below to learn more.