FAQs

A master plan for a reserve is a comprehensive long-term vision and guide for land use, infrastructure, environmental protection and community facilities. 

For Timber Reserve, the process to develop a master plan will identify the values held by those who currently use the reserve and will look at how else our community might like to use the space in the future. It will then set out a framework or vision to guide future design, development and maintenance over the next 10+ years.

As part of a reserve master planning project, we will:

•    identify existing assets and their function (e.g. buildings, trees, ovals, playgrounds, etc.).

•    establish a vision for the reserve that ensures it is suitable and relevant to the needs of the current and future users, and our community.

•    protect the areas and qualities of the reserve that are highly valued, and where possible create. space to accommodate our community's preferred usage options.

•    identify a program of works to realise the vision.

•    identify resourcing needs so that we can seek funding and ensure staged, transparent delivery.

A plan prevents ad hoc changes and helps to balance diverse community needs and interests.

Timber Reserve hosts almost 4,000 hours of sport annually: Manningham United Blues Football Club (78 hour/week in winter) and Bulleen Templestowe Cricket Club (73 hour/week in summer). 

The main playground is a favourite with local families and the reserve is popular with local dog owners, who meet to socialise and exercise their dogs on the main oval (when not in use by the seasonal sports clubs).

Residents also enjoy walking through the park, enjoying the views to the city, or casually kicking a ball or running around on the sportsground.

Yes, we encourage feedback on a fenced-off dog area. Demand for a dog park will be considered as part of this master planning project.

Earlier this year, we received a request from residents to consider a fenced dog off-leash exercise area in Timber Reserve. 

We will also be undertaking a strategic review of where new dog parks should be located as part of a broader review of our Open Space Strategy later this year.

Typically, suitable sites for a dog park require a minimum area of 3,000 sqm, but preferably 5,000sqm. Sites are also assessed against other criteria to ensure any potential location supports the area’s current uses and still allows for both passive and active recreation.

No. We are not a decision-making authority in relation to the PRS so any feedback regarding this project is not in the scope of the Timber Reserve Master Plan project and will need to be referred to the relevant authority.

The PRS is being relocated to Timber Reserve as part of the Victorian Government’s upgrade to the Eastern Freeway.

Victoria’s Big Build (in consultation with Yarra Valley Water) has been consulting with local residents about this project. 

Following  submission of a petition to Council from residents outlining their concerns about the proposed location, we requested further consultation be undertaken with any residents before any decisions about a final location for the PRS are made. Subsequently, two options were presented to the community. Based on community feedback and other key factors, the relevant authorities have determined the south-west corner of Timber Reserve to be the preferred location.

Space for inclusion of the PRS in the south-west corner of Timber Reserve will be allowed for in the draft master plan.

For more information about the PRS, please visit Victoria’s Big Build. 

We’ll be seeking feedback on our draft Manningham Integrated Water Management Strategy in separate community consultation through Your Say Manningham in November 2025. 

As part of the draft strategy, Timber Reserve has been identified as one of 5 possible high priority sites in Manningham for the development of future stormwater harvesting systems, which would support the irrigation of a sports oval. Projects such as this aim to reduce pressure on drinking water supplies in future when water supply is forecast to be more constrained. The land requirement for stormwater harvesting in a reserve is estimated to be about 2,000sqm.

The type of Integrated Water Management solution, if any, for Timber Reserve would be subject to detailed design at a future date, and will also involve further consultation with the community.

As a general idea, Integrated Water Management adjacent to a sporting ground would involve stormwater harvesting. Stormwater harvesting involves collecting, filtering, storing and using stormwater run-off from urban areas. The collected water is temporarily stored on site in a natural wetland type setting including rocks and vegetation. The harvested water is then used for irrigating sporting grounds and other grassed areas.

The reserve is an allocated sporting reserve and used by 2200 participants for sport all year during the winter and summer sporting seasons, by the Manningham United Blues Football Club and Bulleen Templestowe Cricket Club. 

Collectively the sporting use of the ground and pavilion at the Reserve is almost 4000 hours per year; in winter it is 78 hours per week and in summer it is 73 hours. 

Use of the ground for sporting activities will continue to be prioritised due to it being the only designated sporting space servicing the west of Tullamore Ward. This does not preclude alternate and additional uses outside of designated sporting times and we welcome your ideas for additional low impact uses as part of this consultation.

1. Complete our survey
2. Email us a manningham@manningham.vic.gov.au
3. Attend an on-site community drop-in session:

• Thursday 2 October between 10:30am and midday, near the north playground on Anthony Avenue
• Thursday 16 October between 5:00pm and 6:30pm, on the sportsground

All feedback will be reviewed and reported to Council alongside a draft concept plan for the reserve. 

There will be another opportunity for our community to provide feedback about the draft concept plan between early to mid 2026.