Project background

In 2015, City of Moreton Bay developed a master plan to inform the future of the reserve including its potential staged expansion into adjacent lands as the existing waste management activities there ceased.

In the time since the master plan was prepared:

  • demand for sport and recreation provision has grown
  • improvements in waste management technology and changes in legislation have extended the life of the waste management facility
  • Council has delivered several projects that have enhanced the available facilities at the reserve
  • Council has allocated some budget for future upgrades to the reserve to improve functionality in the short-term.

In 2022, Council announced the need to update the James Drysdale Reserve master plan with a focus on the existing reserve footprint to ensure the current and future needs of the community are met.

Community consultation

In 2023, a comprehensive, multi-phase engagement process was undertaken to:

  • understand stakeholder sentiment around the existing facilities including perceived gaps and opportunities
  • identify stakeholder concerns and issues around future changes
  • develop a shared vision for the future of JDR
  • provide stakeholders greater clarity on and understanding of the future plans for JDR.

Targeted consultation was undertaken with 15 groups including:

  • seven current primary user groups who have the highest land and facility requirements and site usage
  • four secondary user groups who have no or limited dedicated facilities on site
  • four nearby sporting clubs who use facilities at Leslie Patrick and George Willmore parks.

The consultation was facilitated via:

  • internal Council workshop
  • targeted consultation with individual groups (initial survey and face-to-face meetings)
  • collaborative workshop.

This staged process gave all stakeholders an opportunity to express their individual experiences and requirements. It then brought them together to identify common points of focus to contribute to a shared vision for the future of James Drysdale Reserve.

In December 2023, we shared the refreshed master plan, before providing an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

The feedback from stakeholder groups was mostly positive and it was emphasised that stakeholders continue to receive ongoing communication, particularly around staging and timelines.

We are now releasing the draft of the revised master plan final stakeholder and community comment. Following the 4-week notification period, we will review any comments and finalise the draft master plan to be considered for Council endorsement in early 2025.