Axford Park Upgrade

The Axford Park Upgrade Concept Design (Concept Design) will guide the future redevelopment of Axford Park to ensure the park reaches its full potential as a flexible, inclusive, urban park and community gathering space. The Concept Design enables the park to be upgraded over time in a sustainable, staged manner.

Design objectives to guide the project were identified through background analysis and community engagement undertaken in 2016 and 2017 and include:

• Dynamic Environment: Improve usability by creating a more flexible and adaptive space
• Site Responsive: Enhance the precinct through improved physical and visual connections
• Identity + Sense of Place: Celebrate the parks history and protect and enhance the war memorial and wall of remembrance
• Sustainable: Identify short and long-term options for upgrade improvements
• Catalyst for Improvements: Explore the role of the site as a catalyst for other town centre improvements
• Attractive + Inclusive: Establish an attractive and inclusive place for the whole community
• Community Driven: Develop upgrade options which are supported and championed by the community
• Place for People: Rationalise access and create a place for people
• Green Open Space: Maximise the open space and green space provision

The Concept Design has been developed as the ‘Front Yard of Mount Hawthorn’ taking inspiration from the character housing seen throughout the suburb. The Concept Design explores Axford Park as the front yard of Mount Hawthorn Town Centre and includes seven medium to long-term stages to enable the staged delivery of upgrades over time. The stages include:

• The Promenade, incorporating a 7metre wide promenade along the north of Scarborough Beach Road;
• Skateable Terraced Deck, incorporating decked seating with skateable edges at the western end;
• Yoga Lawn, incorporating hanging seats and additional green space;
• Kiosk Area, incorporating a key activity node linking the town centre activities along Oxford Street and Scarborough Beach Road;
• Memorial Area, incorporating the relocated Wall of Remembrance which will be repositioned and integrated into sloping turf as a key park feature;
• Intersection Upgrade, extending the footpath flush across Scarborough Beach Road to Axford Park to create an improved environment for pedestrians and cyclist; and
• Verandah Zone, responding to the potential redevelopment of lots to the north of the park and incorporating the closure of Hobart Street in order to repurpose the expansive bitumen road into additional public open space.

The City will undertake a series of upgrade works this financial year to improve the park in the short-term and prepare the site for any future upgrades that may be undertaken in line with the Concept Design. These include, planting improvements and turf area extension, Hobart Street entrance closure, footpath widening and the delivery of a raised plateau at Fairfield Street to improve pedestrian connections and amenity.