Last update: 7 December 2023

The purpose of this engagement was to understand what the community values about Yan Yean Reservoir, their aspirations for its future use, and hear any concerns or considerations for additional features and activities.

Community groups that may have an interest in the project were invited to participate. There was a total of 104 participants who identified as belonging to local environmental, multicultural and recreation groups or representing local and state government.

Online engagement activities ran through the project’s YourSay website, with an online survey and a Community Wall where participants could post comments and ideas.

71% of survey respondents identified as local residents, and said they lived in suburbs around Yan Yean Reservoir - Doreen, Mernda, Eden Park, Kinglake, Whittlesea, Humevale and South Morang.

Participants across all engagement activities felt optimistic about the project. Most participants were excited to know that there may be an opportunity to enjoy more recreational spaces at Yan Yean Reservoir.

The most frequently-mentioned reasons why people love and value Yan Yean Reservoir:

Active recreation, nature based activities and social activities were each favoured by more than 50% of the total 731 survey respondents.

Other suggestions from site tour and workshop participants included cultural and educational programs (for example, a community café, cultural tours and signage, Indigenous heritage programs).

More than 420 survey respondents provided ‘other ideas’ or more detail on their ideas for future uses, and the top three themes were:

When asked what these additional features and activities could provide for the community, survey respondents listed these as the top three benefits:

• meeting their recreational needs
• increased social connection
• improved mental and physical health.

There were general considerations and/or concerns raised by participants as being important for Melbourne Water to consider for this project. The top three themes were:

We found that youth, multi-cultural communities and people with disability were statistically under-represented in this initial phase of community engagement, when compared with demographic data of the area. That’s why in early 2023, we undertook additional engagement activities with these key user groups at Yan Yean consisting of workshops and one-on-one interviews to inform our planning.

The engagement also sought to understand any barriers these sectors of the community may face in relation to being able to access and enjoy open space and recreational opportunities.

Findings:

• Overall engagement findings were generally similar to the broader community. These groups also valued Yan Yean for the scenery and views of the water and as a place to enjoy socialising and picnicking with friends and family
• Aspirations for future use among these groups centred around passive activities, with a desire for continued use to socialise and eat with friends and family as well as to enjoy walks/general relaxation, the scenery and take children to the playground. These aspirations for the future were common with the broader community, however the broader community had a stronger desire for active recreational activities
• The participants also shared insights on specific needs to enable them to enjoy open space at Yan Yean including factors such as:
  • Picnicking facilities to cater for multiple large groups
  • Walking surfaces and other facilities suitable for different access needs (e.g. wheelchair, mobility assistance, vision impaired)
  • Signage and maps around site
  • Playground facilities that cater to children of different ages including older youth (e.g. adventure playgrounds)
  • Safety was also highlighted as a key issue in terms of both physical safety for users of different needs (e.g. surfaces safe for low mobility) and public safety (e.g. undesirable behaviour).

We’ll use the findings from this phase of the community engagement to inform the Draft Master Plan for Yan Yean Reservoir. We’ll also undertake further technical investigations to understand how these community ideas could be designed and delivered in balance with the important existing function and values of Yan Yean Reservoir.

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