Caboolture Region Environmental Education Centre draft master plan

CREEC Draft master plan

Residents of Moreton Bay love to play in our region and the success of our Caboolture Regional Environmental Education Centre is testament to our love of the outdoors.

Becoming increasingly popular with people from far and wide, Council has identified the need to ensure the facility can keep up with the demands for car parking and toilet facilities.

With additional carpark works also programmed, Council thought it would be great to ensure a holistic and contemporary vision be prepared for the hugely popular site. 

The draft master plan establishes a more strategic approach to ensuring the site delivers to the needs of those who visit. A working group, consisting of stakeholders who currently use the site, has been established and have provided constructive input into the development of the draft master plan. 

This master plan includes the following exciting updates:

  • a nature-based playground
  • upgrades to the Environmental Education Centre and amenities
  • a new picnic hub with tables, seats and shelters
  • additional car parking
  • enhanced trails that are fully accessible.

Council held a public consultation with the wider community and feedback was provided online, at our information day and in person at the centre.

You can view the draft master plan(PDF, 4MB) of all the facilities or for more detail on the enhancements keep reading below.

A nature-based playground

A new nature-themed playground will replace the aging existing equipment and will be centred around an exciting interpretation of nature, allowing children to be immersed in nature through a series of active and interactive play elements. The new playground will have a combination of natural and manmade shade and will be closely located to the new picnic hub for convenience and visibility. The new playground will complement the existing All-Abilities Playground and together will provide a full range of play-based experiences for various age groups that will embrace the natural principles of the site.

Nature based playground design
Concept design for nature-based playground features:
  • log and rope climber
  • sand play
  • embankment slides
  • climbing wall with rope climb and mountain climb
  • pipe tunnel
  • boulder balance and discovery trail

Upgrades to the Environment Education Centre and amenities

As the centre for the site, the Environmental Education Centre, will have a number of upgrades to assist in providing the community with appropriate amenities to support its environmental and educational principals and activities. Upgraded toilet facilities and café will support not only the activities of the centre but will enhance the visitor experiences for the community using the playground and picnic hub upgrades. New meeting rooms within the building will allow for a greater variety of education and community based activity, which will be complemented by outdoor undercover areas for both formal and informal uses. The theming of these building enhancements will complement the existing uses and environmental purposes of the centre.

A new picnic hub

A new picnic hub is planned for the space between the Environmental Education Centre and the new Playground. It will provide a new space for families and visitors to relax in a central location within the site. A number of outdated picnic and furniture elements will be replaced to cater for greater numbers of visitors. Additional seating, tables, bins, bubblers and picnic shelters will be provided to complement other existing uses and will complement the environmental theming of the site with natural shade appropriate materials and close association with the surrounding bushland.

Additional car parking

Additional car parking will be provided  to services a number of key uses of the Environmental Education Centre. As there is currently only one sealed car park, additional spaces and infrastructure will allow visitors to safely and efficiently access the uses within the site. The new car parking areas will be safe and visible and will cater for increased visitor numbers especially at peak times during the week (for education purposes) and on the weekend (for families). The car parking is intended to complement the natural theming of the site by providing native planting in and around them that will help to connect them to the environment.

Enhanced trails that are fully accessible

The existing trails and tracks on site will be enhanced through additional seating and signage but most importantly by making them accessible for all users. The trails and paths already allow the community to experience the natural riparian bushland of the Caboolture River and the provision for new accessible trails as well as upgrades to those that only allow limited access.

 

Location

CREEC, 150-196 Rowley Road, Burpengary 4505  View map

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