Visitors will soon enjoy improved accessibility and a better visitor experience at the Redwood Forest in Warburton, with upgrades planned to uplift facilities and manage visitor impacts to preserve the park’s unique environment.

The Cement Creek Redwood Forest in the Yarra Ranges National Park on Wurundjeri Country has become an increasingly popular place to visit over recent years due to the enchanting and photogenic Californian Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees. 

A project is underway to improve the site’s facilities, to manage increased visitation while ensuring the park’s stunning natural and cultural values are protected.

Draft designs have been released by Parks Victoria today, outlining plans to improve the visitor experience by providing facilities such as additional car parking, an accessible public toilet, a safety gate and a wet-weather visitor shelter. 

Visitor impacts to the forest and surrounding landscapes will be managed by formalising sections of the existing trail network, which will reduce the site’s exposure to foot traffic and help protect and replenish important habitat for plants and wildlife.

Pictured above: A draft design for Parks Victoria's planned works at the Cement Creek Redwood Forest. It includes new and upgraded facilities including improved car parking, an accessible toilet facility, a visitor safety gate, a visitor wet weather shelter and the formalisation of sections of the existing trail network. Examples of what the toilet facility, visitor shelter and seating could look like is also shown.

The draft design is subject to environmental, cultural heritage, Heritage Victoria and Yarra Ranges Council town planning assessments, approvals and permits, and may change as the project progresses. 

The upgrades are being made possible thanks to $2.6 million in funding from the Victorian Government, including $2.3 million from the Regional Tourism Investment Fund.

An additional $400,000 of works funded and delivered by Melbourne Water will support visitor accessibility and additional open space opportunities. These works will include constructing boardwalks, viewing platforms and fencing. Re-vegetation along the Cement Creek and the Yarra River will also be undertaken to improve river health and provide habitat.

In April, the Cement Creek Plantation (which includes the Redwood Forest) was added to the Victorian Heritage Register due to its aesthetic, historic and scientific significance.

Parks Victoria and Melbourne Water are working with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Yarra Ranges Shire Council and Heritage Victoria to ensure the site’s natural and cultural values are protected during works and well into the future.

Subject to on-ground and construction industry conditions, and environmental, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultural heritage approvals, Parks Victoria’s portion of works is expected to commence early 2024. Melbourne Water’s portion of works is expected to commence in spring 2023.

For more information about the project visit the Cement Creek Redwood Forest facility upgrades project page.