Essendon Fields has taken another important step forward in its creation of durable, sustainable and quality public realm, upgrading the landscaping of Heritage Park, a favourite green space for tenants and visitors alike.

Heritage Park is located on the corner of Wirraway Rd and English Street, between the Linfox headquarters and the Essendon Fields Airport control tower. The park includes a series of plaques nestled amongst greenery that take you on the airport’s journey from farmland back in the early 1920s to present day.

The recently completed works include new turf, plants and the arrival of some new amenities reflecting a world class Precinct, designed with urban landscaping and sustainable planning principles at its core.

Essendon Fields’ Facilities Manager Ashley Young said the works, completed by the precinct’s horticultural partner Green by Nature, represent another significant investment in the landscaping features at Essendon Fields.

“We removed the overgrown plant area and replaced it with smaller drought tolerant plants and additional turf. Our intent was to make the area more accessible, with clearer areas to walk through or to stop and sit and watch aircraft. We also replaced the bench seats with some picnic tables to create a space for people to meet or eat lunch,’’ she said.

“This is all part of the commitment that we’ve made in our landscaping budget. Clean green spaces ensure our community can harness the physical and mental benefits of time spent outdoors for productivity, engagement and motivation,” Ms Young said.

Adam Strathairn, Operations Manager at Green by Nature, said that the benefits from the works would be felt not only by those visiting Heritage Park, but also by the reduced maintenance costs, which can be redirected into improving other parts of Essendon Fields.

“Landscaping forms an intrinsic role in establishing a sense of local identity and a ‘sense of place.’ The intention with everything we do at Essendon Fields is to largely develop and enhance a recognisable landscape typology for Essendon Fields,” he said.

“In this instance we’ve also successfully reduced the maintenance requirements by removing overgrown and densely planted species and swapped to a more minimalistic design, which will allow us to continue to provide beautiful spaces across the precinct for tenants and visitors to enjoy ,’’ he said.

Essendon Fields encourages all tenants and visitors to the precinct to take a stroll to Heritage Park during a work break or perhaps to enjoy lunch on the new picnic tables.