Werribee Township Regional Park

Project status

March 2024

Informed by stakeholder and community consultation in 2021 and 2022, a Strategic Directions Plan to guide the creation of the new Werribee Township Regional Park has been developed. You can view it on the Engage Victoria website.
We’ve appointed an environmental consultant and Heritage Advisor. Environmental and cultural heritage assessments are underway to inform the park’s masterplan.
We’re progressing the procurement of a lead design consultant to develop a masterplan for the park.
Stage 1 demolition and clean up works were completed in March 2024.
The next stage of demolition and clean up works is expected to commence in coming months, following appointment of contractors.
To improve security, measures will be put in place to control unauthorised access to Parks Victoria land. This is to prevent further rubbish and soil dumping.

The project

This project is being delivered on Wadawurrung Country and Bunurong Country.

The Victorian Government’s $315 million Suburban Parks Program will create more than 6,500 hectares of new and upgraded parks and trails across greater Melbourne.

As part of this program, a new 340-hectare regional park that will be created in Wyndham Vale and Tarniet on Wadawurrung Country and Bunurong Country, at the northern boundary of the existing Presidents Park.

Through the creation of this new park, Parks Victoria will restore the land to its natural values, and ensure that it is sustainably managed to protect and enhance the natural and cultural landscape for years to come. It will help protect critically endangered species and improve the health of, and access to, Werribee River.

Werribee Township Regional Park will create new opportunities and experiences for the community to get active, spend time with friends and family, and connect to our beautiful parklands and waterways.

The creation of Werribee Township Regional Park will be guided and informed by the Werribee Township Regional Park Strategic Directions Plan, which has been developed in consultation with Traditional Owners, the community and other key stakeholders. Find out more about the community consultation process and view the final Strategic Directions Plan at Engage Victoria.

Environmental and cultural heritage assessments will inform exactly where, when and how components of the project are delivered.

Artist's impression of the future Werribee Township Regional Park

Pictured above: Artist's impression of the future Werribee Township Regional Park.

Project benefits

Visitors

While the exact layout and inclusions of the new park are yet to be defined, Werribee Township Regional Park will provide visitors with new opportunities to explore and experience the natural and cultural landscapes of Werribee, on both Wadawurrung Country and Bunurong Country. The land will be restored, and subject to further funding, new spaces and facilities will be developed to support accessible opportunities to get active, socialise, and connect with nature.

Environment

Through the creation of Werribee Township Regional Park, the land will be re-vegetated and transformed back to its natural state. It will help protect critically endangered species and improve the health of, and access to, Werribee River.

Community

The park will provide opportunities for the diverse and growing community in Werribee and surrounding areas to recreate, learn, socialise and enjoy nature in an urban-rural setting.

Project funding

Werribee Township Regional Park is being developed as part of the Victorian Government’s $315 million Suburban Parks Program.

As part of this funding, the Victorian Government has provided $19.5 million to deliver the next stage of planning, clean-up and remediation works, and initial land management by Parks Victoria for the next two years at Kororoit Creek Regional Park, Clyde Regional Park and Werribee Township Regional Park.

Project timeline

Subject to on-ground and construction industry conditions, and planning approvals and processes, the timeline for the project is estimated below:

2018: Suburban Parks Program funding announcement
July 2021 – March 2022: Drafting the Werribee Township Regional Park Strategic Plan
April – July 2022: Community consultation on draft Strategic Plan
Mid-2022 - mid-2023: Finalisation of the Werribee Township Regional Park strategic plan
2023: Commencement of remediation work and assessments to prepare for the creation of the park

This timeline will be updated as the project progresses.

Environment and cultural heritage management

Parks Victoria has worked closely with both the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation in the development of the Werribee Township Regional Park Strategic Plan. As planning for this park progresses, we will continue to partner with both Traditional Owner groups to ensure that connections to Country are recognised and integrated into the creation and management of the park.

Detailed environmental and cultural heritage assessments will be completed to inform the project designs, ensuring that impacts are minimised or avoided wherever possible.

Who are we working with?

Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
Melbourne Water
Werribee Riverkeepers Association
Wyndham City Council

Staying updated

Subscribe here to receive project updates, or contact the project team at engage@parks.vic.gov.au or call us on 13 1963.

Related information

FAQs

What is the Werribee Township Regional Park?

The Werribee Township Regional Park is a new 340-hectare regional park that will be created in Wyndham Vale and Tarniet on Wadawurrung Country and Bunurong Country, at the northern boundary of the existing Presidents Park.

The park will create new opportunities and experiences for the community to get active, spend time with friends and family, and connect to our beautiful parklands and waterways.

Why has the location in Wyndham Vale been chosen for Werribee Township Regional Park?

Access to open green space is important to everybody, including people moving to Melbourne’s newest suburbs in the west.

Over the coming 20 years, the City of Wyndham is forecast to experience a significant increase in population. As heralded in the Linking People and Spaces Strategy 2002, large scale open space is needed.

The park boundaries were established through planning processes in 2018 and 2019. This includes parkland that will benefit and be accessible to the community while also protecting significant environmental values.

How have you consulted with the community on this project?

Parks Victoria consulted with the community during the development of the park’s Strategic Directions Plan, with the first stage of consultation on a vision for the park’s development held in May–July 2021, and further consultation on park plans held in April – May 2022. Find out more about the community consultation process at Engage Victoria.

Where can I find out more about the future vision for the park?

The future development of the Werribee Township Regional Park will be guided by the Strategic Directions Plan, which has been developed in consultation with Traditional Owners, the community and other key stakeholders. You can view the Werribee Township Regional Park Strategic Directions Plan on the Engage Victoria website.

When will the park be finished?

It will take time for the park to be fully completed. Members of the public will have more opportunities to provide further contributions to the park’s plan and design as the project progresses, and can look forward to exploring the new Werribee Township Regional Park as it emerges over the next few years.

What is the Suburban Parks Program?

The Victorian Government’s $315 million Suburban Parks Program will create more than 6,500 hectares of new and upgraded parks and trails across greater Melbourne. Suburbs on Melbourne’s growing fringe, such as Officer, Clyde, Craigieburn, Carrum, South Morang and Sunbury will get new parks.

The program aims to increase community connectivity and decrease social isolation by providing opportunities for local communities to get outside, get active, socialise with friends and family and enjoy the benefits of time spent in nature. Find out more.

How can I stay updated on the progress of this project?

Subscribe here to receive project updates, or contact the project team at engage@parks.vic.gov.au or call us on 131 963.