Granite Hills Major Community Park

Granite Hills Major Community Park is located within the bunjil nganga Parkland Quarry Hills in South Morang, bordering Mernda.

In 2019, a landscape master plan for the parkland was developed to guide future land planning of the site.

In September 2023, City of Whittlesea Chair Administrator, Lydia Wilson joined Member for Mill Park, Lily D'Ambrosio to turn the first sod on the development.

Community park to unlock vision for precinct

Related to the Granite Hills Major Community Park project, we are also establishing an Aboriginal Gathering Place at bunjil nganga Parkland. 

Our Open Space Strategy identifies four major community parks spread across the established areas of the municipality.

The major community park located at Granite Hills will provide community access into the broader bunjil nganga Parkland for the Mernda-Doreen corridor.

The Granite Hills Park site is a flat area, close to Hunters Road. The location has clear sight lines and visibility which improves community safety, while preserving the surrounding ridgelines.

We recognise the rich habitat of the bunjil nganga Parkland.

Currently 430 hectares of bunjil nganga Parkland is open space and under Council management.

The implementation of the major community park will invite people to access this small eight-hectare section of the site in a safe and controlled way. We anticipate this will limit illegal activity and damage to wildlife habitat.

Other ways the environment and wildlife will be protected are:

• the park and play space are proposed to be located at the front of the site, meaning vehicles are not required to drive far into the parklands for parking.
• the water bodies will be upgraded into a high-quality wetland, providing further habitat for flora and fauna.
• the path and trail network will direct users through the site, away from areas of conservation and rehabilitation.
• interpretative signage will be located along trails to educate the community on the ecological value of the area.

Currently 430 hectares of bunjil nganga Parkland is public open space and under council management. While Granite Hills Park is constructed, additional public open space will become council-owned.

This land will be rehabilitated and managed as conservation areas, allowing the ongoing and increased habitat for local wildlife.

Eventually bunjil nganga Parkland will include 1100 hectares, which will provide significant space and habitat for local wildlife.

We know that trail bike riding is damaging to public open spaces, including regional parks, waterways and other linear corridors like pipe tracks.

bunjil nganga Parkland is a conservation reserve and does not support dogs off leash.

As with all public open space, dogs must be on a leash unless within an allocated off-leash area.