We're putting the finishing touches on the community field
18 December 2024
Council will commence revegetation works in the community field, which is designed to maintain soil quality and prevent erosion. This work complements previous treatments on the site. These sections will be closed off while Council undertakes these works, which will include spreading more soil and seeding more grass. Weather permitting, we hope the grass will be established by the end of January.
The sprinkler system will soon be fully operational, and this will help accelerate revegetation during the summer months.
The areas that are fenced with metal temporary fencing will remain fenced until weed management is complete, these areas will be revegetated using hydroseeding in 2025 when we have entered cooler months after summer.
Council is grateful for the community’s patience while we put the finishing touches on the implementation of the masterplan.
Council will continue monitoring the site and welcomes any feedback from the community.
More information
We have heard concerns from the community and Council about the rate and patchiness of growth of grass across some of the community informal recreation areas. As a result, we are taking action on these areas.
Some of the areas, directly north, east and west of the north soccer field, are enclosed with temporary metal fences. We will be doing weed management, topsoiling and re-seeding for kikuyu grass, the most suitable type of grass for these sorts of areas. This work will be undertaken in coming months and the grass is expected to be established ready for use by March or April 2025.
The area that is referred to as the community field (former east field) is also to be re-seeded. With the encouraging natural growth of kikuyu grass in recent weeks, a shorter term solution is possible with topsoil and re-seeding to occur sooner.
The irrigation system hasn’t been working properly but the issue has now been identified. Once it is fixed we will have sprinklers operating overnight and the drip hoses buried around the new trees will also be operating. We will keep this area fenced off with stakes and tape. The north-south footpath that cuts through the area will be reopened.
Signs will help people to understand our works and the proposed timing of these works.
We’re wanting to make these areas just as wonderful as the rest of the reserve.
Hosken Reserve is safe for public access and use.
Council did discover material that contained asbestos when digging as part of the works for delivery of the Hosken Reserve Masterplan Implementation earlier in 2024. This was removed under the supervision of a specialist technician known as a hygienist. Excavation works were supervised by the hygienist and Council was issued with a clearance certificate before the park was reopened in early September.
Council most recently arranged for a hygienist to attend the site on 16 December 2024 to again check for materials after a report of possible exposed pieces of contaminated material at the Hosken Reserve site.
This inspection was completed and Council was issued with a surface clearance certificate that afternoon. This means the site has been declared safe to be open to the public once again.
Any time materials are located that might contain asbestos (at Hosken Reserve or anywhere else), it is important that Council is notified using our customer request channels so that it can be appropriately dealt with.
Phone: 9240 1111
Email: info@merri-bek.vic.gov.au.
Take photos if you can, note the exact location and let us know. Don’t handle pieces of this material.
If you hand us material you have found, it means the proper process of testing cannot be followed. The testers need to remove the material from the site where it was located so that they can associate their test results with a specific location.
