Cardinia Shire Council
Open space is often planned with residents in mind, but it plays an equally important role in employment areas.
Access to quality open space supports worker wellbeing, encourages active and social use of places, and contributes to more productive, attractive and sustainable employment precincts.
Following the development of Council’s 2023 Open Space Strategy, Cardinia Shire Council identified a gap in understanding how well open space is provided across its extensive employment areas. SGS was engaged to assess whether existing and planned provisions are sufficient, and to guide potential planning scheme changes, including developer contributions, to support future needs.
Our work combined spatial and strategic analysis to build a comprehensive evidence base:
- Spatial analysis of Council GIS data to map existing open space provision within employment areas, assessing quantity, accessibility and distribution
- Assessment of future demand based on projected employment growth and land use change
- Qualitative review of open space quality and function, informed by best practice and literature on the benefits of open space for workers, the environment and the economy
- Identification of gaps in provision and opportunities to improve amenity and accessibility across employment precincts
- Development of a recommended open space contribution rate, drawing on SGS’s broader work in contribution planning
- Review of contribution mechanisms, including approaches used in comparable local government areas, alongside relevant VCAT and Planning Panel decisions
The work provides Council with a clear and defensible pathway to strengthen open space provision in employment areas, ensuring these places support not just jobs, but the wellbeing and experience of the people who work in them.
