FAQ

Manningham Council uses Management Plans to provide direction for the future use, development and management of parks and reserves within Manningham.

The Mullum Mullum Reserve Management Plan was endorsed by Council in September 2014.

The Management Plan includes a range of recommendations. The most significant action is to develop a five court multi-use stadium to accommodate a range of sports such as basketball, netball, badminton and table tennis. Other actions include landscaping improvements, additional car parking and minor road works.

A planning permit has been awarded to to carry out a range of works at Mullum Mullum Reserve, including:

• Line marking of the lower car park
• Widening and upgrading the entrances at Springvale and Reynolds roads
• Minor roadworks, including construction of a roundabout
• Construction of additional car spaces
• Installation of new and upgrading existing pedestrian paths, including an additional shared cycling and pedestrian path to connect with the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
• Landscaping works, including planting along the southern boundary and Springvale Road frontage
• Installation of prototype stormwater treatment rain gardens (a trial in collaboration with Melbourne Water)
• Upgrade of public lighting.

These works will commence in July 2015 and are estimated to take three months to complete. During this time there will be impacts on access into and around the reserve, and car parking. Traffic management and signage will be put in place to inform reserve users of the changes.

A key feature of the Management Plan is to build a multi-use highball stadium, which will include five multi-use sports courts and seating for up to 500 spectators to cater for a range of sports such as basketball, netball, badminton and volleyball.

Highball is a term used to describe indoor court facilities that are purpose built for traditional ‘highball’ sports such as badminton, basketball, futsal (indoor soccer) netball, table tennis and volleyball. 

In addition, these facilities are also commonly used for a range of community based programs, exhibitions and events. 

Mullum Mullum Reserve has been identified through Council’s Open Space Strategy (1991, 1999, 2004), as a site for future sporting development.

More recently, the 2014 Open Space Strategy identified the Reserve as a site for a highball facility development.  Furthermore, the Highball Infrastructure Plan 2013 has identified that Mullum Mullum Reserve as a priority site for a large five to seven court facility as it has the following advantages: 

• Central location – contributes to servicing predominantly the Manningham community
• Located on arterial road network, linear trail, and bus transportation
• Green field flat site enabling cost effective construction
• Complements the existing sporting precinct
• Indicative support given by major highball clubs / associations
• Existing car parking infrastructure with space to expand car parking.

Plans for the proposed stadium are progressing with a separate planning permit application to be submitted and advertised in the coming months.

Pending the award of the planning permit, the construction will commence around September / October 2016, with the facility expected to be open to the public around the end of 2017.

A typical five court highball facility would have a floor area of approximately 5,400 m².  The area required for additional car parking is dependent upon the use of the facility and inclusion (or not) of a ‘show court’.  The level grass area at the southern end of Mullum Mullum Reserve is 12,330 m². 

The draft Management Plan proposes a five court facility with approximately 500 seats and 235 additional parking spaces.
This outcome will provide five of the 15.5 court shortfall of highball facilities within the municipality.  The facility will be multi-use, and as such, will be able to host a range of sports and clubs, sports finals and tournaments, community events and competitions such as the Big V basketball games.

The stadium is proposed to incorporate an administration zone, meeting spaces, amenities, cafe and seating, multipurpose room and storage.  As of October 2013, it was determined that the proposed highball stadium at Mullum Mullum Reserve will not include a show court (i.e. 1500 seats to accommodate major events).

The concept plan shows the stadium at approximately 14 metres high and approximately 124 metres in length.  The level grass area is well set back from Springvale Road and there is an existing treed mound along this frontage.
The following actions have been documented in the Management Plan to manage the visual impact of the proposed stadium:

• Constructing part of the building below the natural ground surface level to reduce the visual bulk of the building (refer action 2.4.2)
• Reducing the height of the building on the southern side (refer action 2.4.2)
• Planting along the southern boundary of the site adjacent to neighbouring residents to screen the proposed stadium and improve visual amenity for neighbouring residents (refer action 2.4.3)
• Locating and screening the proposed car park an appropriate distance from neighbouring residents to minimise noise as visitors arrive and exit the site (refer action 2.4.4)
• Ensuring security and car park lighting is designed to minimise light spill to neighbouring residential properties (refer action 2.4.5)

The following actions have been documented in the draft Management Plan to manage the noise impact of the proposed stadium:
• Exclusion of windows, vents and opening doors from the southern face of the building to help minimise noise escaping the building (refer action 2.4.1)
• Location of plant and operating equipment internally in rooms, directing noise away from the residential boundary (refer action 2.4.1)
• Location and direction of air circulation vents away from the residential boundary (refer action 2.4.1)
• Restricting car park usage in the area close to the residential boundary (near the stadium) by installing an automatic boom gate to block access after 10.30pm (refer action 1.2.4)

The southern level grass area is above the 1 in 100 year flood level; hence the proposed site is not within the Mullum Mullum Creek flood prone area.  The high pressure gas main is located in the elevated grass area towards Springvale Road and building development will avoid this area.  Construction works will be undertaken with direct involvement of the utility manager.  A Council main drain is located along the southern boundary of the reserve and all building construction will avoid this asset.

Most of the Mullum Mullum Reserve site is covered by an Environmental Significance Overlay Schedule 3 in the Manningham Planning Scheme.
The areas covered by this schedule have been assessed as being either buffer habitat (Manningham City Council Sites of (Biological) Significance Review 2004) or other land with environmental and/or landscape values that supports core conservation and buffer habitat areas.  Appropriate management will be enforced to ensure ecological values are protected and improved.

In recognition of this overlay, major development at Mullum Mullum Reserve will be located in those areas that are the least intact or devoid of vegetation in order to minimise detrimental impacts on identified environmental values.

Any works that impact on native vegetation within this overlay will be designed to avoid the loss of significant vegetation.

Bushland vegetation along the creek corridor will be protected, particularly within:
• Land affected by the Environmental Significance Overlays; and
• The sensitive vegetation zone as marked (refer Figure 10).
Light spill from lighting around infrastructure will be minimised to protect biodiversity within the creek corridor by directing light specifically to circulation paths, and adopting sensitive lighting design such as shields or sensors, where appropriate.
Council officers will refer to Council’s Development Guide for areas of Environmental and Landscape Significance 2011 when planning for development, including integrated siting and design, vegetation management, earthworks, built form and sustainable development and integrated water management.
The proposed development will also require a planning permit and the development will need to demonstrate how it addresses environmental issues.  
Mullum Mullum Reserve is within the Public Park and Recreation Zone under the Manningham Planning Scheme and is also covered by the Environmental Significance Overlay (Schedule 3 – Buffer Conservation Areas Supporting Sites of Biological Significance), with a portion also affected by the Environmental Significance Overlay (Schedule 2 – Sites of Biological Significance) and the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay.

An independent flora and fauna impact assessment will be undertaken on the potential impact of any building, additional car park, and associated pathways, services or drainage works. This assessment will be included in the Mullum Mullum Reserve Management Plan.

Manningham Council will be seeking external funds to finance all proposed highball developments and upgrades, including the proposed multi-use highball stadium at Mullum Mullum Reserve.

The Highball Infrastructure Plan 2013 identified a shortfall of 15.5 highball courts in Manningham.  Council alone cannot address this shortfall due to the significant cost associated with development, limited access to appropriate sites and competing priorities for infrastructure and services.