Update on Community Heart in Lilydale project

With a variety of projects taking place in Lilydale over the past year and some immediate pressing community priorities, Council has opted to temporarily pause its community consultation on the Community Heart in Lilydale (CHIL) project. 

The CHIL project seeks to solve the issue that Council has heard about Lilydale in the past, in that it doesn’t have a hub for community or a focal point where community can meet and gather. 

The project has undergone two different phases of community engagement so far to identify the most important community values. These values will be the basis of any designs and will remain part of planning once the project is re-commenced in 2025. 

However with other priorities on the radar for the township, Yarra Ranges Mayor, Cr Sophie Todorov, said that putting CHIL temporarily on hold would allow resources to go into more pressing community needs for the town.  

“We’ve seen a lot of improvement in Lilydale recently such as the adoption of the Lilydale Structure Plan, Lions Park redevelopment, Lillydale Lake Masterplan and Beresford Road trail crossing, just to name a few,” Cr Todorov said. 

“There is still much to be done though, including the development of the Stormwater Management Plan, progressing the planning scheme amendment for the Lilydale Structure Plan and the business case for an urban aquatics facility, which we need to ensure we’re prioritising resources towards.” 

Despite the re-prioritisation of projects in Lilydale, Cr Todorov said that this wouldn’t be the last the community will hear on the CHIL project.  Much needed planning will be commencing for the Lilydale Recreation Reserve and Lilydale Croquet Club in Melba Park, and works are being planned for the Lilydale Heritage Station to bring community uses into this unused VicTrack facility.  Each of these will offer some early opportunities for community meeting spaces while Council prepares for the larger Community Heart in Lilydale project. 

“We’ve had wonderful feedback from community about what they want a focal point of Lilydale to feel like, so we’ll hold onto that feedback and then progress with the next steps of the project with community once some of these other priorities have been finalised. 

"Planning is  still happening with the CHIL project, we just want to make sure we are getting action on some of these pressing needs of community before bringing the bigger strategic vision to community.” Community members who would like more information about what’s happened with the CHIL project so far, or want to sign up for future updates, can do so at https://shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/community-heart-lilydale.