Council purchase secures new park for the heart of Chelsea
The Chelsea community is to get a new park following Council’s purchase of a large parcel of land in Dents Reserve.
The approximately 3500 square metres of land at 19 Tarella Road supports significant vegetation and was purchased by Council for just over $5 million.
Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley said the local community had been calling for the site to be set aside for community parkland.
“Council is really excited to announce the news of the land purchase as I know the community has been tirelessly campaigning to secure this fantastic natural asset for locals to enjoy for years to come,” said Cr Oxley.
“Our community values our beautiful open spaces; and having parks close to home is vital. This investment will provide much-needed additional green space for the suburb’s growing population.”
Now the land has been secured, Council will arrange for demolition of the old building on the site and will begin work on the design for the park, taking into consideration the significant vegetation on the site that will need to be carefully managed. Community feedback will be sought on the design.
The property was purchased using funds from the Open Space Reserve for the Chelsea area.
Under Kingston’s Planning Scheme, when land is subdivided the owner must make a contribution to Council for public open space in that area. The City of Kingston Open Space Strategy identifies locations where public open space is lacking, where additional open space will be needed and a range of improvements to the existing open space system that need to be undertaken to provide for the future expected population. The strategy identified a shortage of open space in the Chelsea area.
