Sheils Reserve, Brunswick West - Park redevelopment and new bird habitat

Background

At the Council meeting in June 2016, Council considered a community request to create bird habitat in Sheils Reserve, by planting suitable plants to attract small birds and insects back into the park.

As a result, funding was made available in the 2018-19 financial year to redevelop Sheils Reserve with a focus on providing new play opportunities and revegetation to increase habitat for local birdlife.

The redevelopment was recently completed followed by a very successful community planting. The new park includes:

• New spaces for active and nature play
• Barbecue facilities and shelter
• Circuit paths, seating
• Extensive revegetation and
• Opportunities for nature studies through 'observation pods' which are small, quiet spaces with informal seating surrounded by vegetation. Each observation pod contains information about the surrounding habitat which encourages particular pollinating insects throughout the seasons.

To celebrate the completion of this project, an official opening of the park will take place 4-5pm, Tuesday 22 October in Sheils Reserve. If you would like to participate, then please rsvp to civicevents@moreland.vic.gov.au by Monday 14 October.

Next steps 

Council is currently seeking additional funding for the installation of a public toilet and applying for external grant funding to complete the stormwater and pond element of the Sheils Reserve Concept Plan (PDF 5Mb).

Should there be sufficient community interest, the stormwater harvesting and retention pond will support the planting of a community food forest.