The John Connell and Melville Glades Reserves comprise of 122 hectares of important public open space in the eastern part of the City of Melville. They provide significant environmental, passive and active recreational opportunities for the local and regional community.
Part of the John Connell Reserve was previously the site of the Dundee Road Landfill, which operated from 1974 to 2000 and includes areas currently occupied by the Bowmen of Melville (Archery), Amalgamated Melville Homing Club (homing pigeons), public park area, and the Melville Golf Centre.
The last stage of the landfill occurred on the southwestern corner of the reserve, which resulted in a final landform level representing the highest part of the elevated area being 41 metres above sea level.
The site is classified as “contaminated – remediation required” by the Department of Water and Environment Regulation in accordance with the Contaminated Sites Act 2003.
Leeming Bowls and Recreation Club Inc, Leeming Strikers Football Club, Leeming Spartans Cricket Club, Leeming Spartans Junior Cricket Club and the Leeming Sporting Association Inc. are also located on the site. The Melville Glades Golf Club (18-hole private golf course) is located on the Melville Glades Reserve within the project site.
This master plan has not considered residential development anywhere on the site, or changes to the holes/course layout at the Melville Glades Golf Club, unlike the previous planning project.
An earlier draft concept plan (including residential development) was prepared and presented to Council in 2019 for informal feedback prior to embarking on a community consultation process.
In October 2019, Council elections resulted in the then Council expressing its opposition to proceeding with the residential development project. The City had a Memorandum of Understanding with DevelopmentWA (formerly LandCorp) regarding the previous development project. As per the Council resolution in February 2021, the City advised it no longer intended to proceed with the agreement. As a result, the John Connell Reserve Redevelopment Project was abandoned.
Appropriate commercial development that is complementary and aligns with the core uses and functions of the site may be considered.
Any inappropriate commercial development is excluded from consideration of the master plan.
The master plan has been designed to encourage a net increase in canopy cover.
Consideration will be given with any development of recreational spaces to minimise additional pressure on existing endangered vegetation communities, habitat, and resources. The master plan will aim to provide a restorative landscape that delivers greater environmental value.
The site has a varied history, including a portion previously being used as landfill for 26 years, with much of it requiring remediation as shown on the map below. The contamination ranges in depth across the site, and soil capping is very thin (<0.5m – to none at surface). The contamination is largely construction and domestic waste, asbestos containing materials and soil leachate (heavy metals).
There is a need to remediate part of the site as per the
Contaminated Sites Act 2003, and it is unlikely new development of the contaminated areas will be authorised unless some remedial work is completed. It also may affect the standard of buildings required in the future (i.e. specific footings, stabilisation work) and how groundwater may be used. The ability for vegetation to re-establish on landfill areas is currently unknown, and it may not be successful beyond the embankments, until further studies are completed.
Whilst the entire parcel of land shown in the map below is classified as contaminated, not all of this area has contaminated material in it. This relates only to the previous landfill site as shown on the map. The native bushland (Banksia Woodland) areas, adjacent playing fields and facilities do not require remediation.
A recommendation from this master planning process is to continue with some immediate investigations to help answer some of the questions about how the contamination is best remediated. These studies include (but are not limited to):
- Geotechnical studies – compaction and test of material for future use
- Investigations of additional piles of construction material (post 2013)
- Nature and extent of older/current capping (is it still viable)
- Groundwater testing / monitoring sampling (3-5 years) – particularly for driving range groundwater abstraction
- Water quality data from existing bore (onsite)
- Asbestos Management Plan pre any work on the landfill areas
- Update Site Management Plan (presently and ongoing)
- Landfill gas assessments for structures/buildings on landfill areas (12-24 months)
- Health risk assessments.
We are sharing this information to help you understand some of the complexities with redeveloping this site and that further work needs to be done, which will take time and cost. The cost of remediation is also unknown to some extent, until some of these investigations are completed.
The John Connell Reserve Master Plan has been on hold pending the outcome of a native vegetation clearing permit for 0.68ha of land directly adjacent to the existing sports fields. The outcome of the clearing permit is still unknown. Officers are preparing to present the master plan to Council in aid of progressing detailed remediation investigations for the site.
A clearing permit for the strip of bushland east of the cricket oval (shown below) was lodged with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DEWR) in June 2023 and is currently being assessed.
The City, as land manager, gave permission for the Spartans Cricket Club to lodge a vegetation clearing application with DWER as the pre-requisite for a potential oval extension proposal. DWER is the responsible authority for issuing the clearing permit, however, the oval extension has not been approved and would be subject to further design and cost estimates before any decision by Council. The oval extension project is likely to involve significant retaining works and there may be conditions imposed by DWER that need to be considered in terms of costs and practicability.