Linking People + Spaces (A strategy for Melbourne’s open space)

As a result of a long history of strategic forward planning Melbourne now has a world-class open space network of regional parks, shared-use trails, coasts and bays, and areas of high environmental and cultural values. This legacy, planned and implemented over more than a century, is now embedded in the city’s landscape and character and in our community’s values. However our parks represent more than this. The value of parks is reflected in social benefits of health and well-being, the environmental benefits of protecting conservation and biodiversity values and economic returns arising either directly or indirectly from tourism, education, health, transport and leisure industries. Continuing to protect, improve and extend the network is therefore essential to the healthy functioning of our urban environment and lifestyle. Equally important is the need for open space planning to be a part of broader metropolitan planning in order to maximise the sustainability and integration of urban spaces and precincts. In the Metropolitan Strategy, developed by the Department of Infrastructure, this framework is provided and key strategic directions are articulated for metropolitan Melbourne. The focus is on the ways in which land-use planning and transport development can support Melbourne’s social, environmental and economic needs. A key objective is to better integrate the life of the metropolitan area with the economic and social development of the whole of Victoria. In parallel with the Metropolitan Strategy, Parks Victoria has prepared Linking People and Spaces, a strategy and vision for the continued growth and improvement of our open space network. In the Metropolitan Strategy Parks Victoria incorporates and builds on the initiatives outlined in Linking People and Spaces and provides a strategic context for long-term planning and management of open space within the metropolitan region. Although Linking People and Spaces is strongly focused on meeting the recreational needs of Melburnians, also supported in it is the implementation of detailed environmental priorities identified in Victoria’s Biodiversity Strategy and the draft Port Phillip and Westernport Native Vegetation Plan. In addition, Linking People and Spaces contains guidance for funding implementation priorities through the Parks Victoria Grants Program and other funding sources.