Yarra City Council has officially opened the new Cambridge Street Reserve in Collingwood after works to double the size of the park.
At double the size, with extensive park seating and a large lawn space which is shaded by native trees, Cambridge Street Reserve is now the largest park in Collingwood.
“We asked the community what they wanted, and we made sure their feedback led the design process,” said Mayor, Claudia Nguyen.
“This park is inclusive and accessible, play is integrated into the design of the park, we’ve included a swing, some bike infrastructure and even a dog bowl for our furry friends.
“With only 0.3% of open space, we knew that we needed to find creative ways of delivering vital open space for the Collingwood community.”
The park features stainless steel and fibreglass sculptures called ‘Close Knit’ created by Eicholtz. The work references the iconic Aussie backyard, symbolised by washing on a Hills Hoist with strong themes of domesticity and handcrafts.
These concepts were transposed into several elements, including 2 large flying jumper sculptures and then featured in knitted concrete garden walls throughout the gardens, along with balls of wool to mark gateways and entrances to the park.
Yarra delivered Cambridge Street Reserve in partnership with the Victorian Government, who have supported the project with $1.3m funding. Yarra City Council has invested a further $731,130 towards the project.
“We are investing in more open space in Collingwood to bring people together and make these much-loved areas even better places to live,” said Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos.
“By upgrading the Cambridge Street Reserve, we’re investing in projects that will directly benefit Collingwood residents and businesses.”
“We are partnering with councils so that we meet the needs of local communities.”
