New pocket park for Stonnington, while dog lovers also score open space

Dogs will be wagging their tails with joy with news space-strapped Stonnington is getting much-needed parkland. Find out where the open spaces will be.

Nishka, Aoife, Craig and Finlay enjoy a new pocket park at Williams Landing, while one will be coming to Prahran. Picture: Tony Gough

More than $1.5 million will be spent on two new parks — including one for dogs — in Stonnington.

The State Government has allocated $1.3 million to be spent on a new pocket park in Mount St, Prahran, while a further $275,000 will be dedicated to creating a dog park on Thomas Oval, which is part of Como Park North, in South Yarra.

A new dog park will be created in South Yarra. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Stonnington has the second lowest amount of public open space per person out of any council area in the state.

The council’s 2013 strategy noted how highly valued open space is to the community but that it was becoming increasingly scarce as population growth and development density continued to put pressure on all areas of Stonnington.

Only 6.7 per cent of the area is open space, with an average of 20sq m per person and will continue to decline as population increases. Prahran had just 7.8sq m of open space per person in 2013, which was slightly improved with the opening of Prahran Square.

The council spokesman’s, Jim Carden, said open space was “incredibly important to the Stonnington community”.

Fifteen new pocket parks will be created in Melbourne, including one in Stonnington. Picture: Tony Gough

“We welcome the Victorian Government’s investment and support that was announced,” he said.

“We’ll work through the details in the announcement and engage with the local community on the best way to establish the new pocket park and dog park.”

A survey in 2015 revealed 91 per cent of people believe it was important for the council to create open space now and for future generations.

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Other parks to be built nearby include at Kings Place Plaza in South Melbourne, the Palais Theatre Forecourt in St Kilda, Bentleigh Plaza, Aileen Ave in Caulfield South and Cambridge St in Oakleigh as part of 24 new pocket and off-leash dog parks.

The parks will begin opening up from next year.