The proposed satellite car park at the end of Kramer Drive in Berwick has been temporarily rescinded in the most recent City of Casey agenda, with community consultation to begin in the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year.
In Casey’s agenda, under its Capital Works Program 2025/2026, it was stated that the project has been removed due to public submissions, and to also allow for community consultation on the project before it is considered for reintroduction for funding at a later date.
The car park was projected to cost $310,000 according to Casey’s April agenda, a development that was protested by residents who cited congestion, and a “soft foot in the door” to more unwanted amenities in the area as the main reasons.
The car park was initially identified in the 2022 master plan for Wilson Botanic Park and was stated to provide an additional 66 parking spaces on site.
Initial plans for the car park were to alleviate the current stress experienced by the main car park through Princes Highway, as park visitations hit 910,501 patrons in 2024.
Local resident Sophie, who had also spoken out about the car park in previous instances, shared with Star News that during the special council meeting in May, she, alongside neighbours, attended, and that a mutual understanding was reached with the councillors on the topic.
In an email exchange with Casey, the council shared that in the coming weeks, they will be conducting investigative work for the project, as well as a full traffic and parking impact assessment.
This comes alongside environmental and visual impact reviews and detailed operational planning.
“They’ve had surveyors up there, so from my understanding, it’s soon to be time for consultation,” Sophie said.
“And I really appreciated that the mayor, the deputy mayor and councillors were really attentive to us.
“They spent a good half an hour with us, and our conversations alerted them to the fact that there really was no consultation or anything done around it.”
Sophie added that she was glad to see that the project is now going to be taken to the beginning of the process, such as traffic analyses – “the way that all projects should be undertaken with thorough thought and consultation from the residents”.
According to the 2022 master plan, consultation periods about general park improvements extended from January to April 2020.
This included 187 community intercept surveys, online Casey Conversations surveys, meetings with the Friends of Wilson Botanic Park, the Australian Plant Society Committee and the Community Reference Group.
During the May special meeting, Sophie, speaking to the council group, said that she had taken the time to read over the master plan, highlighting that the satellite car park is a “long-term concept” and intended for review “beyond a 20-year horizon”.
“It is, but the plan’s own terms, out of scope, until at least the first scheduled review in 2026.
“There has been no formal variation to that plan, no strategic update, and no transparent justification provided for fast-tracking this project out of its intended timeline,” she said.
Sophie further added that for me, it “clouds community trust in long-term planning”, especially when “out of scope” items are instead prioritised ahead of essential short and medium-term works.
She highlighted neighbouring residents, as well as herself, are “united in our concerns”, and that they take pride in the special community feeling.
“We absolutely love Wilson Botanic Park… but wth that significance comes responsibility,” she said.
“I just ask that careful, respectful consideration is given to the area in which it resides, especially when it borders long-standing residential streets like Kramer Drive.
“Any development needs to reflect not just the needs of the park, but the people who live around it and have helped shape this neighbourhood into what it is today.”
This story is developing, and more information is to be added once available.
