What we wanted to know

The purpose of Phase 1 engagement for the Reimagining D1 Drain in Werribee project was to understand what the community values about the D1 Drain open space, their aspirations for its future use, and hear any concerns or considerations for additional features and activities.

We asked you to tell us:

Who we heard from

We talked to 83 local community members during the Phase 1 engagement period. Many identified as local residents, and lived in suburbs around the D1 Drain - Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Cocoroc, Footscray, Tarneit and Seddon.

We spoke to you via:

• 4 community pop up sessions
• 1 local community workshop
• 1 visioning workshop with the local school
• 1 online “Ask the Experts’ Q&A session
• An online survey
• An online ideas wall

What we heard

Participants across all engagement activities felt optimistic about the project. Most participants were excited to know that there may be an opportunity to enjoy wildlife and healthy waterways at the D1 Drain in Werribee.

Why people use the space

The most frequently-mentioned reasons why people use the space at the D1 Drain in Werribee were:

What is most important about the space

We asked you to rank the following themes in order of their importance to you. Most people indicated that environmental sustainability was most important, followed by safety and receation.

Ideas for future uses at D1 Drain in Werribee

Your suggestion on future uses for the D1 Drain in Werribee incorporated the following themes:

• Socialising (e.g. picnics, seating areas, shading);
• Nature based activities (e.g. bird watching, frog watching);
• Education (e.g. educational signage, interpretive signs, school areas, water level markers)

Other suggestions included shared space and experience with Indigenous heritage/art incorporation and changing the name of the space.

Community concerns

There were also general considerations and concerns raised by the community. The top three topics raised were:

• Post-flooding issues (muddy, litter, debris)
• Safety (better lighting at night-time, footpath surfaces)
• Environment (pest control, wildlife protection, non-indigenous plantings)

We have taken these on board as are considering them in the concept design.

What’s next?

We are using the findings from this phase of the community engagement to inform the draft concept designs for D1 Drain in Werribee.

We are also undertaking further technical investigations to understand how your ideas could be designed and delivered while considering the existing function and values of the D1 Drain.

The concepts designs are currently in development and will be available for your feedback in mid-2023. Click FOLLOW on this page to get an email when they are ready!