Bass Coast Shire Council has finalised plans for the , voting yesterday to adopt a clear, long-term vision for the popular reserve.
The reserve is a key recreational and community hub for the town of Coronet Bay, consisting of a local hall, BMX track, community garden, basketball court, playspace, walking path and social sports goals.
The final Fred Gration Reserve Open Space Master Plan sets out improvements for the open space and facilities at the reserve.
As part of the master plan, Council has identified a series of future improvements including the creation of a picnic space with a barbecue, a shelter at the community garden, a new playspace and fitness area.
In accordance with the master plan the basketball court will be replaced with a multi-use space to accommodate netball cricket, tennis (hit-up wall) and pickleball, while a standalone shed is also planned for the community garden.
Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan said the Coronet Bay community and reserve users had been integral in shaping the future facilities for Fred Gration Reserve.
“Fred Gration Reserve has long been loved as a community leisure and recreation space for local residents,” Cr Whelan said.
“This master plan builds on the existing features of the popular reserve to ensure the local community will have access to quality open space facilities for years to come.
“Importantly, the community has contributed to the Fred Gration Reserve Master Plan through our consultation, offering valuable suggestions about recreational, social and environmental priorities for the much-loved space.
“This included a strong push for an outdoor meeting and picnic area with a barbecue to help foster community connectedness, and a desire to embed sustainable elements, such as water harvesting and solar power opportunities for the community garden.”
A call for more trees at the reserve also aligned with Council’s plan to increase urban forest cover to 40% across Bass Coast townships by 2040.
Cr Whelan said Council will use the master plan to progress detailed designs and seek funding via grant opportunities and existing developer contributions allocated to Coronet Bay.
The reserve is named after Fred Gration who co-founded the Coronet Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association and organised the first community Trash ‘n Treasure sale in town. Mr Gration was known to knock on local doors scouting donations of bric-a-brac and unwanted furniture, which he would store on his farm and later sell, ultimately financing the public toilets for the foreshore and construction of the community hall.
