Key points

  • A draft public realm framework is on exhibition. Submitters are welcome to speak to their submission at the Planning and Consultation Committee meeting on Tuesday 16 July 2024. To speak at this meeting register here
  • The draft framework marks an important early step, providing strategic direction to address the community’s concerns about the area’s safety and connectivity for non-motorists and the need to retain Wattle Glen’s rural character and natural and environmental setting.
  • The draft framework addresses ‘head-on’ Wattle Glen’s arterial road and rail reserves which are key components of the area’s public realm and which pose the major challenges to, and opportunities for, addressing the community’s concerns.
  • The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) have formally provided their in-principle support for the draft framework’s exhibition and community consultation, confirming their shared responsibility and agency to continue to partner with Council in the implementation of the framework.
  • The draft framework does not provide detailed solutions for the key initiatives it outlines; these would be developed in partnership with DTP and shared with the community as future project funding allows.

Feedback to the draft public realm framework closes Tuesday 18 June 2024, 11:59pm.

About the draft public realm framework

The draft public realm framework has been prepared to provide the strategic direction for what needs to be done in Wattle Glen to address the community’s concerns about the area’s safety and connectivity for non-motorists and its sense of place. These concerns were expressed by community in the project’s first round of engagement.

As the arterial roads that are core components of Wattle Glen’s public realm and implicated in community’s concerns are owned by DTP not Council, Council has collaborated closely with DTP in the development of the draft framework.

The framework does not attempt to provide detailed solutions to the concerns of community. Instead, the key initiatives of the framework provide the direction for future concept design work that will be required to be undertaken with DTP to secure funding for the technical design development and delivery of solutions.

DTP have formally provided their in-principle support for the draft public realm framework’s exhibition and community consultation, confirming their shared responsibility and agency to continue to partner with Council in the implementation of the framework.

Subject to its adoption by Council, the public realm framework will enable Council to budget for the concept design work that would be undertaken in collaboration with DTP to secure funding for delivery. Subject to Council securing the delivery funding, detailed designs of specific solutions would be shared with the community prior to programming work on the ground.

The draft public realm framework

The draft public realm framework comprises an analysis of existing conditions (Part A of the Framework) and framework plans (Part B of the framework).

The analysis in Part A of the framework confirms the issues raised by the community, namely, that:

The community are particularly disconnected from neighbouring Diamond Creek and the diverse range of essential goods and services the Major Activity Centre provides. There is inadequate infrastructure to support the community’s safe and expedient access to Wattle Glen train station (and to Diamond Creek and beyond) and directly to Diamond Creek other than by motor vehicle. This places pedestrians, cyclists and the area’s horse riders at significant risk to motor vehicle accidents in navigating the area’s rail line and arterial roads, and supports car dependency at the everyday level.


Important community places within Wattle Glen are disconnected from each other. There is inadequate infrastructure to support the community’s safe and expedient access to the range of natural spaces and community infrastructure within the area, limiting their ability to enjoy their place and to strengthen their own community.

The plans in Part B of the framework outline the key strategic initiatives that need to be realised to overcome the issues presented in the analysis. These include:

  • Connecting the Wattle Glen community to Wattle Glen train station and the Diamond Creek Trail (DCT) — and beyond.
  • Connecting the Wattle Glen community to Diamond Valley College and the Community Bank Stadium (community infrastructure not offered in Wattle Glen).
  • Improving the existing shared path connection from DCT through Diamond Valley College and the Community Bank Stadium to Main Hurstbridge Road to better connect Wattle Glen and Diamond Creek.
  • Connecting the DCT to Diamond Creek train station to better connect Wattle Glen to Diamond Creek.
  • Linking the Green Wedge Trail to the DCT through Wattle Glen via Wattle Glen train station.
  • Connecting Peppers Paddock to Wattle Glen train station.
  • Connecting Wattle Glen Primary School to the General Store and Peppers Paddock.
  • Linking Wattle Glen’s places together along Watery Gully Creek.

Feedback has now closed

If you prefer to provide additional feedback via a written submission, see below:

Register to make a verbal submission at the Planning and Consultation Committee meeting 16 July 2024

Previous consultation

At the November 2021 Planning and Consultative Committee meeting the committee considered community feedback to the project’s first round of community engagement (held between July and September 2021).

The first round of engagement provided rich insight into the values of community and some of the key issues the community face. Three key themes identified from the engagement are informing the framework and are listed below:

  • Wattle Glen’s rural character and natural and environmental setting are valued as the distinctive qualities of the township
  • There is a fundamental lack of connectivity among key points within the township
  • Unsafe conditions exist for travel, especially for non-motorists, among key points within the township.