The Rosanna Parklands 'Community Reference Committee', established in 2006 by Cr Melican, recently passed a list of "Guiding Principles" to provide input into Banyule City Council. Representatives of RoPPA participated in Reference Committee meetings and contributed to the Guiding Principles. However, consensus was not completely achieved and RoPPA representatives were not consulted over the final draft. The current document is strongly focussed on indigenous native vegetation. There is a lack of specific guidance on landscape design. Insufficient emphasis is given to the preservation of the heritage and history of the park. No guidance is given on:

• Facilities (e.g. playgrounds);
• Specific areas (e.g. the 'BMX' area, former fairways); or
• Issues such as dogs-off-lead or vehicular access.

RoPPA representatives on the committee will continue to work for the protection of the park and to represent existing users. Rosanna Parklands will be best protected if it is well-loved and well-used by the community. We therefore accept the need for more intensively maintained areas near entrances as well as bushy areas in the body of the park.

The Guiding Principles are reproduced below.

The Guiding Principles for the Management of Rosanna Parklands

Introduction
These Guiding Principles are drawn up by the Rosanna Parklands Consultative Committee to guide the development of a management plan for the Parklands.

Principles

1. Protect the Parklands for Community Use and Appreciation
Continue to manage the park as an area for informal passive recreation, thus continuing the existing usages of the Parklands wherever practicable and lawful, and to ensure that land is not alienated for other purposes.

2. Enhance the Landscape
Given that the parklands constitutes a living and varying entity, the aims of the landscaping design and maintenance are, within the spirit of other principles, to achieve;

• An evolution towards a varied pattern of indigenous vegetation which, by its ecological complexity and depth, attracts, enhances and protects biodiversity appropriate to the region and the suburban location;
• The provision of a range of appropriate sensory experiences including shade and light; diverse views and seclusion; repose and, within the spirit of informal passive recreation, exercise and play; and
• The enhancement of opportunities for education, formal and informal, in the biology of the relevant Ecological Vegetation Classes, eg Creekline Grassy Woodland, Plains Grassy Woodland, Native Victorian Grasslands.

3. Enhance Vegetation for Habitat, and for Community and Environmental value
Retain, regenerate, and revegetate indigenous vegetation of upper, mid, and lower storey species to enhance the current coverage in the Parklands to:

• Provide enhanced habitat for diverse indigenous fauna;
• Improve visual amenity and respite from the busy suburban world.

4. Use Water in the Parklands Strategically
Manage water input (rainfall, run-off, storm-water, and stream-flow) to the parklands to:

• Sustain the park's vegetation;
• Create water features which provide increased variety of floral species and of habitats;
• Enhance visual and educational values;
• Improve Salt Creek to be a healthy, living, and attractive stream.

5. Acknowledge Heritage and History
Respect the significant heritage and historical value of the parklands, as coming from the traditional owners, the early settlement, the golf course, and the contributions of Ellis Stones and his original concept of unity of park and 'Elliston' housing estate.
Retain legitimate healthy non-indigenous vegetation with significant landscape or heritage value.
Recognise the major contributions to the history of the Parklands in a discreet and appropriate manner.

6. Limit Artefacts in the Parklands
Introduce artefacts only if appropriate to the purposes, ambience and heritage of the Parklands.
Design artefacts to respond to the natural values of the Parklands and the creek environment and to minimise their visual and physical impact.

Appendix

The Guiding Principles listed above have been compiled after consideration of the following references and factors:

Community Needs and Desires

• Survey by Berrill Thompson Landscape Architects;
• 2002 Sample survey of visitors to Parklands by RoPPA;
• Response to RoPPA petition;
• Observations of visitor behaviour; and
• Statements recorded at workshop held by FoSCAP (19 Nov 2003).

Demographic Tends of Local Population:

• Increasing density of housing and commercial precincts (2030 etc); and
• Changes in age and family distributions.

Heritage Issues

• Paper by Margaret James to Rosanna Parklands Consultative Committee
• RoPPA submission to Heritage Victoria see: http://www.roppa.org.au
• Ellis Stones, 'Elliston', Australian Garden Design, Macmillan, 1971
• Drawings by Ellis Stones (Victorian State Library).

Current Distribution of Nearby Formal Active Recreational Facilities

• South of Rosanna Parklands - De Winton Park sporting precinct: oval, bowls club, tennis courts;
• North of Rosanna Parklands - Macleod sporting precinct: oval, tennis courts, Netball sports centre, YMCA centre

Landscape Design & Maintenance

• Cam Beardsell Vegetation Communities of the City of Banyule
• Lindenmayer, D.B., Claridge, A.W., Hazell, D., Michael, D.R., Crane, M., MacGregor, C1, Cunningham, R.B. Wildlife on farms. How to conserve native animals. CSIRO Publishing. Melbourne.2003
• The Victorian Catchment Management Council (VCMC) Report Card Ecological Vegetation Classes: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/veg evc
• Paul Thompson, Australian Planting Design, South Melbourne, Lothian Books, 2002.

Contemporary Concerns for the Indigenous Environment

Banyule City Council policies:

• Wildlife Corridors Program;
• Open Space Strategy;
• Weed Management Strategy.

Melbourne Water:

• Plans, and permit application, regarding Salt Creek;
• Document 6 April 2008 (scanned 13 April 2008).