A COMMUNITY AT ‘‘Won’’ WITH NATURE

“Warralily’s Armstrong Creek is a great example of how we can bring nature back into our suburbs and is a benchmark for what can be achieved for all Australian housing estates. The beneficiaries when developers go above and beyond are their residents through more inviting living spaces and being close to nature.”
Brendan Condon
Australian Ecosystems Director

That’s the vision that has earned Warralily a National Award for Environmental Excellence.

Tucked between the Geelong CBD and the Surf Coast is one of the largest urban landscaping projects being undertaken in Australia. As well as becoming a haven for local wildlife and a wonderful natural space for residents, Warralily’s restoration of Armstrong Creek has been recognised for its environmental signifi cance, winning against nationwide fi nalists at the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) National Awards for Excellence.

AN ENVIRONMENT THAT TRANSFORMS PEOPLE’S LIVES FOR THE BETTER

Visit Warralily and you will instantly be struck by its authentically Australian nature. Eucalypts and large old river red gums abound and, complemented by a huge variety of other Aussie native plants, provide both natural beauty and safe-havens for native animals.

You’ll also notice people out and about – walking dogs, playing in parks and jogging past. At Warralily the community makes the most of the environment they live in and treasure.

The connection between the natural environment and the human community is fundamental to the design of this 380 hectare masterplanned estate – and to the community’s position as Geelong’s most awarded urban environment.

Warralily truly demonstrates that large scale land development can be achieved in an environmentally sustainable and responsible manner – an achievement that has earned the team at Warralily the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s 2019 National Environmental Excellence Award.

Perhaps the most important outcome of the design has been the creation of a single connected open space, habitat and water quality corridor that will ensure the ongoing sustainability of the local area and protect the downstream Lake Connewarre RAMSAR wetlands.

Leaders in the field, in fact, describe Warralily’s Armstrong Creek restoration project as an immaculately detailed environmental success. Residents agree that it’s a beautiful place for walking, playing and enjoying the outdoors – and a sanctuary for wildlife too!

Locals are encouraged to enjoy the outdoors with 30kms of walking and cycling paths to connect homes, schools and community amenities with parks and conservation areas.

Hundreds of retained native trees have been landscaped with the planting of over a million locally propagated plants to create a stunning natural setting including boardwalks and viewing platforms for residents to take in the sights. This attention to detail has been key to fostering strong connections between the environment and the community.

Current and future amenities reflect this planning scrutiny. Residents enjoy a full array of community services, including neighbourhood shopping anchored by Woolworths, cafes and restaurants, a child and maternal healthcare centre and brand new schools. Sporting facilities include football ovals, soccer fields and netball courts.

“This is truly a bespoke landscape restoration project that is held dear by our 7000 residents and will leave an important environmental legacy for the region” said Warralily’s Urban Design Project Manager Jeremy Minter.

“We have a talented team here that has accepted an important challenge. They’ve transformed this greenfield site into a thriving wetland corridor and community space that’s welcoming to natural wildlife and great for the human spirit.”

“This is what makes it such a special place to live; developers having pride in what has been achieved. Our family just loves
living here.”
David
Warralily resident

“Congratulations to all involved! Another well-deserved acknowledgement of the wonderful work being done in our beautiful estate.”
Janelle
Warralily resident

TELLING THE STORY OF TRADITION, CULTURE AND THE FUTURE OF THE AREA

Adding further to Warralily’s distinctive sense of place and custodianship for new residents are public art installations that provide an important cultural interpretation of the creek corridor’s pre-European history – a time when it was an important place of destination for the Wadawurrung people.

Local artists Glenn Romanis and Mark Trinham have collaborated with Warralily to visually depict some of the many unique stories within the estate’s ample beautiful vistas.

This connection to the estate’s cultural heritage is seen in public art installations peppered throughout the 60 hectares of parklands, as well as through naming of significant landscape features and community spaces.

Mirambeena, Warralily’s four-hectare community park, was named by Wadawurrung elder Bryon Powell and is Wadawurrung for ‘This is your place’. The name is fitting for the shipwreck-themed playground – a place where people come together to play, relax and share their lives.

In addition, The City of Greater Geelong is collaborating with the Wadawurrung to return Stewarts Reserve to its original name, Dooliebeal. For thousands of years, ‘Dooliebeal’ described the Armstrong Creek Valley with particular reference to the area’s distinctive river red gums.

In the 1850s, ‘Dooliebeal’ was used by the Stewart Family as the name for their Homestead when they settled in the area. In turn, the Stewart name will be honoured through naming of the walkway through the Reserve.

This recognition of the impact of colonisation and the rapid change for the local Wadawurrung population is an important step in the journey towards reconciliation.

“Mark Trinham and I worked collaboratively with Jeremy Minter and Gbla to create visual stories that seek to inform people about some of the many layers of history and the local environment that attribute to the sites and spaces at Warralily”.
Glenn Romanis
Artist

“Warralily is the perfect community to bring up our two young girls. We live between the creek and the conservation park and only a few minutes ride to three different parks and a 5-minute walk to the school and shops. We enjoy getting our gumboots on and exploring on weekends. The estate has such a welcoming vibe, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Lucinda Perri
Warralily resident