Background
The Healesville Freeway Reserve (HFR) consists of 35 hectares of undeveloped land that runs for 3.5 kilometres from Springvale Road in Forest Hill to Boronia Road in Vermont – see map below.
Following strong community interest in keeping the land as public open space the government has committed to retain the land in public ownership for its future use as parkland.
The recently published Concept Plan for the Reserve includes a shared path along the entire length of the Reserve.
Update November 2022
MeBUG has submitted a response to Parks Victoria, on the 2022 Concept Plan and Draft Map. Read our response.
Update October 2022
MeBUG has been an active member of the Community Reference Group and is advocating for a high quality path through the Reserve. We are also urging government to ensure the Eastern end of the path connects to the Dandenong Creek Trail. To this end, we ask that you support our Change.org petition.
Parks Victoria has now released its draft Park Layout Plan.
Update June 2022
The Healesville Freeway Reserve trail is to be completed in 2024. It will traverse the 3.5 kms of former Reserve land that runs east-west between Boronia Road and Springvale Road, south of Hawthorn Road. The east end is right by the Dandenong Creek Trail, and access to the Pipe Track and Hawthorn Road is not far away on the west. It will be a really valuable link as well as a conduit for walkers and cyclists to local schools.
There is, however, only a $9 million budget which may include works other than the cycle path and, of course, there are many people with ideas for various other amenities in the park. The cycle path is a key objective; its precise route and surface is not yet determined. Our goals for the project are:
- That the route is to go East-West through the length of the reserve (connecting the Eastlink/Dandenong Creek Trail to the Syndal to Heatherdale Pipeline Trail) with appropriate connections to side streets, to allow access.
- The route is to avoid steep gradients to make the trail rideable for all ages and abilities.
- The route and construction of the path should minimize disturbance of native vegetation and prevent erosion as much as possible.
- The surface to be used is to be one that avoids using coarse aggregate and minimises the likelihood of punctures and improves the riding in all-weather conditions.
Parks Victoria has invited tenders for the design of the park within the reserve.
MeBUG member David Hall has developed detailed proposals for the route of the path through the reserve and also its potential contribution to Melbourne’s Strategic Cycling Corridors.
Metro East Bicycle User Group Inc. 