RidgeWalk

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Background Background Led by Yarra Ranges Council, RidgeWalk brings together diverse partners including the Wurundjeri Council, Parks Victoria, VicRoads, local businesses, cultural institutions, schools and community organisations. The project is fully funded to $9.8 million dollars, with contributions from The Australian Government, Victoria’s Growing Suburbs Fund and Yarra Ranges Council. History and culture History and culture RidgeWalk will connect townships physically, through a series of trails and pathways, but it will also highlight the connection between story, community and place to give visitors a deeper cultural experience. The Dandenongs have been a place of Aboriginal culture for at least 40,000 years. Working with the Wurundjeri Council and the local Aboriginal community, the project will explore the region’s precolonial and post-European Aboriginal history and culture. RidgeWalk will place these traditions and stories at its centre, including the responses of Aboriginal people to colonisation and ongoing community practice to the present day. There are numerous iconic Australian art works that feature the Dandenong Ranges, including William Barak’s “Ceremony”, Eugene von Guerard’s “Ferntree Gully in the Dandenong Ranges” paintings, landscape paintings by Heidelberg School artists such as Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton, modernist landscape paintings by Fred Williams, who lived in Upwey, and the art of Yorta Yorta artist Lin Onus who drew on the rainforest around his home in Belgrave as inspiration for his art. In 2017, Yarra Ranges Council commissioned a cultural heritage study aimed at examining the historic and ongoing dialogue between art and landscape in the Dandenongs.  Developed in collaboration with local historic groups, both the cultural heritage study and the Aboriginal heritage study serve as a thematic guide for RidgeWalk. Art Art Art, both historic and contemporary, are central to RidgeWalk.  RidgeWalk will provide a way to interpret and reflect stories surrounding the thriving cultures, rich histories, distinctive ecosystems and unique townships of the region. RidgeWalk will feature permanent works and a rotating contemporary art program of new media, sculpture and performance. Works will be site specific and conceptually fit within the project’s overall theme of art and landscape. This framework is designed to establish and maintain consistency along the trail, so that a clear narrative remains at the core of the ongoing creative response. The environment The environment RidgeWalk will promote responsible use of the forests and is an opportunity for education and celebration of the significance and diversity of the natural environment. The project will increase collaboration between Council, Parks Victoria, traditional owners of the land and local environmental groups to ensure its conservation and sustainable use. The trail The trail The proposed trail route for RidgeWalk was established through extensive community consultation and rigorous site evaluation to determine the best option in terms of user experience, local connectivity, accessibility to node and artistic sites, minimal environmental impact, and proximity to existing parking infrastructure and public transportation. The project proposes new trails and upgrades to paths that will be consistent with the natural environment. Click here to view the proposed trail route (PDF, 2MB) Universal access Universal access Many sections of the walk have been designed to cater to visitors with diverse abilities. However, due to the steep gradients, some parts of the RidgeWalk are not universally accessible. The location of nodes and artistic sites have been identified with consideration of their universal accessibility to ensure all users can enjoy the rich cultural experience of RidgeWalk. These sections will be flagged on maps and along the trail to inform users of the trail conditions. All signage, interpretation and digital guides will be developed with consideration to various abilities.    The Master Plan The Master Plan The purpose of the Master Plan is to detail the vision of the project. It will provide instruction, inspiration and guidance for the design, construction and ongoing educational, tourist and community engagement opportunities within the project. The Draft Master Plan will include: Detailed map of the route Cultural framework outlining project narrative and core themes Design approach outlining layers of interpretation methods Concept designs for nodes and artistic sites Technical summaries of associated reports and assessments for traffic, parking and movement and economic modelling The Draft Master Plan will be available for community consultation in June. Timeline Timeline The project timeline features a number of stages. Master Plan February 2018-April 2019 Includes:  Cultural Study Aboriginal Cultural Study Initial community engagement Cost Plan Parking, movement and transport assessment Financial and economic impact assessment Secondary community engagement Stakeholder endorsement  Detailed DesignApril 2019-September 2019 Includes: Permits and approvals Bushfire management Ecological assessment Cultural heritage Aboricultural assessment  Site surveying Detailed drawings for path infrastructure Curatorial and Activation Plan Nodes detailed design Wayfinding and signage detailed design Implementation September 2019-late 2022 Includes: Artists briefs Nodes documentation Wayfinding and Signage Plan Construction Phase September 2019-late 2022 Includes: Trails and path upgrade Wayfinding and signage Click here to see the RidgeWalk Timeline Document (PDF, 129KB)