Collenso Street Dog Off-Leash Area is currently an enclosed space where dogs can play and exercise. We’re excited to share our plans to enhance this reserve and create a more enjoyable environment for both dogs and their owners.

Our concept plan aims to:

• Create a welcoming environment for dogs and their owners.
• Encourage physical activity and social interaction for both dogs and their owners.
• Enhance the natural landscape and biodiversity within the park.
• Provide facilities and amenities that cater to a variety of activities and needs.

The proposed upgrade aims to improve comfort, accessibility, and play opportunities for dogs and their owners while maintaining the patches of native vegetation within the reserve. The concept design will include the following features:

• A designated area for less active dogs
• Two shelters for shade and comfort.
• Ample seating for owners to relax and watch their dogs play
• Drinking water fountains
• Sensory mulched areas with a variety of natural textures and play elements designed to stimulate dogs’ senses and provide enrichment.

You can see examples of these pictured below.

When planning the upgrade, we’ve taken into account the unique natural features of the reserve. A large patch of native vegetation exists in the middle of the park, and this area will be protected and left undisturbed as part of the design.

An article in The Age (1 October 2025) titled “Melbourne’s east may be leafy, but these parts of the west have more green space” highlighted that Melbourne’s west — despite its industrial areas and growing housing estates — actually has more green open space per person than many other parts of the city. This is thanks to the region’s native grasslands and shrublands, which thrive in the drier climate and volcanic plains of the west.

Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute used satellite technology to find that the west has a high percentage of shrubland and native grassland, a distinct ecosystem tied to the region’s drier climate and volcanic plains, rather than the tree canopy found in the east.

In Brimbank we are lucky to be a municipality that was dominated by native grasslands prior to European settlement. Grasslands that are full of amazing plants and animals - Spear Grasses, Blue Devils, Earless Dragons, Legless Lizards, Fat-tailed Dunnarts and Plains wanderers; to name a few.

The Sunshine West Easement is an amazing place - large areas of it are occupied by native grassland species. The easement, including the dog off-leash area, form part of the Glengala Link habitat Corridor. Whilst this easement isn’t currently managed as a habitat corridor, its values are preserved to allow for future recovery and restoration.

The design of the dog off-leash area has been based on retaining as much native vegetation as practical to:

• Allow for future restoration/ recovery of this area as a habitat corridor;
• Retain grass species that have adapted to the local conditions; and
• Provide a consistent ground cover, avoiding the site from becoming a mud pit in winter and dustbowl in summer. As this park isn’t irrigated native grasses provide dogs with a consistent year-round surface.

If you look down whilst walking your dog you may notice many different native grass species - mostly Wallaby or Spear Grasses; plus tiny wildflowers- Bidgee Widgee, Woodruff and Lemon Beauty-heads.

Have Your Say

Your feedback is important to the success of this project. We want to make sure the upgraded park reflects the needs and preferences of our community.

You can provide your feedback either online or at our listening post in the park.

Privacy Statement:

We are collecting your feedback anonymously. If you choose to provide any personal information, the information collected will:

• be used to enable us to conduct this consultation, and will only be used for this purpose
• not be shared with any other person unless required by law
• be de-identified if we use it for planning for future community needs.

To apply for access and/or amend your personal and health information Contact Council’s Freedom of Information Officer.