More than 100 residents and community groups have told Hume City Council what they’d like included in its next annual budget. Top of the list for Sunbury are splash parks, sun shades, and improved sporting facilities.
The submissions were made as part of the council’s annual community consultation to gauge what residents want in their patch of the city. And of the 102 ideas, a 25% increase on last year, 41 came from Sunbury.
What people want
There were plenty of requests for a splash park in Sunbury, to give children a shallow water play area in the town. These typically feature water jets, fountains, dumping buckets, and non-slip surfaces to give kids a place to cool down on hot days.
“They are highly sought after and lots of fun for young families,” wrote one submitter. Another wrote: “So many other councils provide this…”
A low-cost option to protect children at Sunbury’s playgrounds was popular with numerous people asking for large sun shade above play equipment and social areas. Another wanted to see a children’s playground placed on the Village Green, Brook St.
Playgrounds and sport
Support for sport was strong with calls for new tennis courts and associated club house in the town.
The Sunbury Softball Association, which meets at the Goonawarra Recreation Reserve, wants a covered pitching/batting cage to increase safety.
Sunbury’s Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Ligar St, was a popular location for a funding boost with one person reminding council the facility is 60 years old.
There was a request for a wheelchair ramp for the centre’s outdoor pool, with another asking for sun shades to protect swimmers and spectators.
Elsewhere it was suggested expanding the aquatic centre, or building a whole new swimming pool complex to boost tourism.
The Sunbury Basketball Association, which meets at the Eric Boardman Stadium, Wilsons Ln, want a new community centre providing a multi-purpose hub for arts, culture, and events.
And glare from overhead lights on the stadium’s courts is putting players off their game. The club wants something done do to reduce the glare, such as curtains to divide courts or tinted skylights.
The Goonawarra Golf Club wants a new club house, and there are calls for mini forest bike trails to be built in “any unused space” – with Cornish St and the Sunbury Skate Park being suggested along with expanding the town’s BMX facility. Mountain bike tracks were also suggested.
More parking at Clarke Oval, Riddell Rd, for Sunbury Social Club users – along with better lighting, and defined parking bays – was also on the list of wants along with a new larger leisure / community centre somewhere in Sunbury.
There was also a request to build a huge trophy as a nod to the town being the birthplace of The Ashes. However, a monument already exists for The Ashes in Evans St. Rotary Club Sunbury paid for the cricket stumps and spherical clock in 1995.
Museum
There were two requests to re-establish the Sunbury Museum to recognise the town as one of the oldest settlements in Victoria. Sunbury lost its museum when the Global Learning Centre was built.
Pets
Dogs were also on the agenda with calls to improve the dog park at Harker St with better fencing, increase shelter for dogs and their owners, and deal with bull ants biting pets and their owners. And an upgrade to the Jackson St dog park was suggested along with a separate fenced area for ‘challenged dogs’.
Community resources
Refurbishment of the Elizabeth Dr Family Centre for the Sunbury Toy Library also featured with three options put forward costing $30,000, $50,000, and $400,000 respectively.
Sunbury & Cobaw Community Health wants $135,000 to put a centralised and streamlined support system in place for families and children in need in Sunbury.
A suggestion was made to fund a community pantry and reflective garden at the Goonawarra Neighbourhood House. The pantry would allow people to donate and collect food anonymously, and the garden would provide a peaceful space.
A separate submission was made for more public seating near the Goonawarra shopping parade, along with aesthetic enhancements, and improved street lighting “to increase safety”.
Landscaping for the Rolling Meadows’ entrance was also on the list of wants.
And in Bulla, which has no public toilets, a request was put in for toilets and a splash park costing an estimated $20m. Sunbury Life has previously reported on the lack of facilities in Bulla – click here.
Crime
One person asked for an increase in youth engagement initiatives to help reduce vandalism and anti-social behaviour in Sunbury. The request included an increase in local youth workers and for an outreach program to promote the youth centre.
The town’s ongoing graffiti problem also surfaced with a request for council to employ a dedicated person to remove it. “Graffiti has taken over our beautiful town,” wrote the submitter. The issue is well known to readers of Sunbury Life – click here.
Of the stranger requests, one person suggested council buy a half page in the Sunbury Macedon Ranges Star newspaper every week “to keep people informed”. Another suggested a rate freeze, as well as a reduction in council’s staff wages.
All 102 ideas were presented to councillors on Tuesday 11 March, and will go into the mix for funding consideration, with final decisions expected to appear June’s 2025/26 budget.
