About
Golden Plains Shire Council is developing two key strategic documents: Open Space Strategy and Open Space Maintenance Strategy.
These plans will guide the way we plan, provide, manage and invest in open space across the Shire, now and into the future.
The project will run from May 2025 to May 2026.
What is Public Open Space
Public open space includes the parks, reserves, trails, sportsgrounds, and natural areas that everyone can access and enjoy.
These spaces provide places to play, connect, relax, and experience nature, supporting our health, wellbeing, and sense of community.
Open space can be large or small, natural or designed, but together they form the green network that shapes how we live, move, and come together.
Why It Matters
Open space is essential to the liveability, health, and wellbeing of our community. It also plays a vital role in:
- Supporting climate resilience and biodiversity
- Enabling recreation, tourism, and economic activity
- Contributing to emergency management and public health
- Strengthening community connection and cultural expression
This project will help build a future-ready framework that enables coordinated planning, prioritisation, and investment across Council.
Shaping the Future, Together
It’s about more than parks, it’s about people, places, and creating spaces where everyone belongs.
Together, this project will allow us to:
- Understand what’s working well and what could be improved
- Identify gaps in access, quality, or maintenance
- Plan for future needs as our communities grow
- Ensure open spaces reflect what matters most to our communities
It’s an opportunity to create a clear, consistent and realistic roadmap for public open space that:
- Reflects community needs and expectations
- Supports our teams to deliver well
- Strengthens strategic alignment across Council
- Positions Council to plan smarter, act earlier, and invest wisely
Engagement Update
Feedback on the development of the Open Space Strategies was invited from Monday 3 November until 5pm, Friday 28 November 2025.
Defines what we need to provide, where and why.
It will address:
- Open space types and classifications
- Land use planning and growth
- Equity and accessibility
- Climate, health, and social outcomes
Outlines how we manage and maintain our spaces.
It will:
- Define service levels linked to classifications
- Provide clear guidance on cost, staff, equipment and delivery models
- Strengthen asset lifecycle processes and handovers
What Happens Next
Council will consider all submissions provided in the development of these Strategies.
For further information, contact Council at [email protected] or call 5220 7111.