The North East Link Program (NELP) developed a draft design for the Koonung Creek Reserve in Balwyn North. The draft design forms part of a master plan NELP committed to developing.

The design will guide NELP’s reinstatement of the reserve after they finish building the North East Link and widening the Eastern Freeway.

Status updates

Wednesday 2 April 2025


Monday 26 February 2024

  • Councillors adopted an updated version of the design for the Koonung Creek Reserve developed by Council Officers. We revised NELP's draft design based on feedback we received through community consultation in September and October 2023.


Read on for a summary of community consultation and details about the development of the design.

Koonung Creek Reserve proposed changes

NELP will acquire around ~25% of the Koonung Creek Reserve to widen the Eastern Freeway. They will also use about 65% of the reserve as a construction laydown site during their works.

You can compare Koonung Creek Reserve before construction and after construction below.

Drag the bar across the screen to swap between the 2 images.

Before construction: A map of Koonung Creek Reserve before the NELP project construction After construction: A map of Koonung Creek Reserve after the NELP project construction with around 20% of the reserve acquired for Eastern Freeway widening.

About community consultation

We consulted with our community over 2 stages of consultation. Read about the consultations below and explore the findings on our Community consultation on Koonung Creek Reserve page.

We ran consultation in May 2022 to hear our community’s views about the Koonung Creek Reserve. The feedback we received was used to:

  • shape this draft design developed by NELP
  • inform a submission to the North East Link (NEL) Tunnels Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP) public exhibition. This UDLP included the design for the North East Link Tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen and connecting Eastern Freeway upgrades in Bulleen and Balwyn North.

To find our more, you can:

We ran a second stage of consultation in September and October 2023 to seek community feedback on the draft design for the Koonung Creek Reserve. The feedback we received was used to inform:

  • an alternative design for the Koonung Creek Reserve which better reflects the needs of our community and Council. We will share our alternative design with NELP and advocate for them to reinstate the reserve in accordance with Council's adopted concept design
  • a submission to the North East Link Eastern Freeway Upgrades - Burke Road to Tram Road UDLP public exhibition. This UDLP included covers the eastern half of the Koonung Creek Reserve as well as other reserves next to the Eastern Freeway between Burke Road and Tram Road.

To find out more, you can:

About NELP's draft design

Key features of NELP's draft design included:

  • a new playground and toilet at the western end of the reserve (Balwyn Road entrance)
  • a 5 km parkrun route through the reserve
  • additional secondary walking paths
  • relocation of the existing BMX and mountain bike jumps and skills track to the western end of the reserve
  • public toilet at the Balwyn Road entrance
  • nature play areas
  • planting along the length of the reserve to rebuild the Koonung Creek wildlife corridor
  • new amenities including upgraded seats, gazebos, bird hide and a deck around the wetland
  • a new fenced dog park
  • an upgraded playground and facilities at Wandeen Street
  • native plant garden display at the Mountain View Road and Doncaster Road ends of the reserve

There were also features of NELP's draft design our community and Council did not not support. These include:

  • reinstating and rerouting the Koonung Creek Trail as a shared path for walkers and cyclists
  • the representation of the past water course. This is likely to be a boulder-lined and partially planted deep and wide swale (open drain) and ponds to keep and treat storm water runoff from the Eastern Freeway and other roads. This infrastructure would impact the open space available in the reserve.

About Council's adopted design

We adjusted NELP's draft design so it better reflects the feedback of our community and Council. The key changes include:

  • removal of stormwater infrastructure, other than the existing wetland
  • reinstatement of a mode-separated Koonung Creek Trail, with side by side walking and cycling paths instead of a shared user path
  • additional bike repair stations at key locations
  • improving the location of assets which complement each other, like bike hoops, seats, drinking fountains and exercise equipment
  • supporting opportunities to reimagine the Koonung Creek through creative and cultural design throughout the reserve, in consultation with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.

All other key features included in NELP's draft design remain the same in Council's adopted design.

Next steps

We have shared Council's adopted concept design for the Koonung Creek Reserve with NELP and their contractors, the Eastern Freeway Burke to Tram Alliance (EBTA), who are responsible for the reinstatement of the reserve.



Our next steps are to:

  • advocate to NELP and EBTA to reinstate the Koonung Creek Reserve according to Council’s adopted concept design for the Koonung Creek Reserve
  • work with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to support opportunities to reimagine the Koonung Creek through creative and cultural design throughout the reserve
  • update our community as works progress.