The survey sought to understand the community's current usage of open space as well as opinions towards strategies for creating open space.

3. CONTENTS
CONTENTS.................................................................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................ 4
METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................... 4
WHO PARTICIPATED?.................................................................................................................. 5
SURVEY ........................................................................................................................................ 6
SURVEY ........................................................................................................................................ 7
ANALYSIS OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................. 8
Using Open Space...................................................................................................................... 8
Creating open space................................................................................................................... 8
Strategies for Creating Open Space............................................................................................ 9
USING OPEN SPACE.................................................................................................................. 10
Question 1 ................................................................................................................................ 10
Question 2 ................................................................................................................................ 10
CREATING OPEN SPACE........................................................................................................... 12
Question 3 ................................................................................................................................ 12
Question 4 ................................................................................................................................ 12
STRATEGIES FOR CREATING OPEN SPACE ........................................................................... 14
Question 5 ................................................................................................................................ 14
Question 7a .............................................................................................................................. 14
WHAT DID THE SUBURBS SAY? ............................................................................................... 15
Purchasing commercial to create open space........................................................................... 15
Purchasing residential property to create open space............................................................... 15

4. INTRODUCTION
‘Strategies for Creating Open Space’ was adopted by Council on 5 August 2013. The purpose of
the Strategy is to identify strategic opportunities to create, secure and increase public open space
in Stonnington over the next 20 years to meet current and future community needs.
The Strategy was publically launched on 31 October 2013.
METHODOLOGY
The Strategies for Creating Open Space Survey 2015 was conducted as a door to-door interview
style survey during early February. Five hundred and ninety nine households were randomly
selected from 36 Statistical Areas (SA1) that make up the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
Stonnington Local Government Area. A SA1 contains an average of 400 people per area.
The final results have been weighted by census collection area to ensure that each suburb within
the City of Stonnington contributes proportionally to the municipal result. The suburb weightings
have been conducted using the enumerated population figures from the ABS – 2011.
The percentages throughout this document are weighted as described above. Where a number is
noted, that is the actual number of respondents.
In January 2015, Council engaged Metropolis Research to undertake face-to-face interviews with
residents from across the municipality.
Trained Metropolis Research survey staff conducted face-to-face interviews. Each participant was
interviewed for approximately ten minutes. The 36 SA1 areas were drawn from across the entire
municipality, including all suburbs and wards. An average of 16 surveys were conducted in each
SA1.
A range of data gathering methods were considered including telephone, online and street
intercept surveys.
Face-to-face surveys were selected for a number of reasons. Firstly, this method ensures that all
the various areas within the municipality are included in the sample. Secondly, it provides some
information about the location of the respondents while remaining anonymous.
This method ensures a very representative sample that reflects the underlying population in terms
of age structure, gender, dwelling related data and location.

5. % Number
Gender Age Structure Suburb
Female 49% 292 15 to 19 years 3% 17 Armadale 10% 66
Male 51% 305 20 to 35 years 21% 122 Glen Iris
10% 68
Other gender 0% 0 36 to 45 years 25% 156 Kooyong
1% 40
46 to 60 years 27% 163 Malvern
11% 64
61 to 75 years 19% 105 Malvern East
24% 100
76 years and over 5% 34 Prahran
13% 66
South Yarra
17% 63
Toorak
15% 66
Windsor
7% 66
Overall Demographics
2015 Respondents
% Number
Household Structure
Two parent families
45%
269
Housing situation
One parent family
4%
22
Own Home
46% 265
Group household
10%
53
Mortgage
18% 112
Sole person household
13%
80
Renting privately
25% 155
Dwelling Type
Couple only household 29% 172 Renting from Office
of Housing
7% 35 Separate detached house 48% 274
Other arrangement
0% 2
Semi-detached row or
trerrace house
22% 134
Cant say 4% 30 Low rise flat,unit apartment 21% 134
High rise apartmnents
10% 54
2015 Respondents
Overall Demographics
WHO PARTICIPATED?
Source: GIS – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey
Source: GIS – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey

6. SURVEY

7. SURVEY

8. ANALYSIS OVERVIEW
The following commentary is an overview of the results and covers each of the questions. Further
information can be obtained through the range of data images following this including graphs,
tables and maps.
Using Open Space
The survey started with asking how often members of the household use parks and gardens and
for what reason. The majority of respondents (65.1% / 387) are frequent users of parks and
gardens. Of these, 49% (190 respondents) support the timeframe of the strategy and the use of
Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO). Of the frequent users that oppose the timeframe, 90.4% (92
respondents) said the timeframe was too long and 1.9% (3 respondents) said it was too short. The
frequent users that oppose the use of the PAO equate to 11.1% (44 respondents).
Frequent users also showed support for purchasing residential properties (62.5% / 229
respondents) and commercial properties (73.3% / 273) for the purpose of creating open space.
There was a small proportion of the frequent users that oppose the purchase of residential
properties (12.7% / 45 respondents) and commercial properties (8.2 / 28).
The majority of respondents use parks and gardens to exercise (48.7% / 282 respondents) and to
walk/exercise a dog (46.8% / 271 respondents). A notable amount of respondents use open
space to sit and relax (39.2% / 227) and to use playground equipment (24.4% / 141 respondents).
Creating open space
Question 3 asked about the importance of Council creating new open space now and for future
generations with a scale of 0 (very unimportant) to 10 (very important). The response to Question
3 shows an overwhelming opinion that the community thinks it is important for Council to create
open space with 90.9% or 533 respondents giving a score of 7 to 10 on the scale. The average
score over all 599 respondents was 8.82 out of 10.
Those who indicated that it was unimportant only represented 2.2% (14 respondents) of the 599
participants. Comments from this small group demonstrate that there is, if not minimal, a lack of
understanding as to the intention of the Strategy. However, more telling as to why they think it is
unimportant is that a number of them are within close proximity to open space.
Question 4 asked about the 20 year timeframe with a scale of 0 (strongly oppose) to 10 (strongly
support). Just over half (51.5% / 299 respondents) indicated support. A notable amount of
respondents were neutral on this (34.2% / 190 respondents) and a smaller group were opposed
(14.4% / 76 respondents). Of those that oppose the timeframe 88.5% (123 respondents) said it
was too long and 3.6% (5 respondents) said it was too short. In total there were 568 respondents
to this question and the average score out of 10 was 6.63.

9. Strategies for Creating Open Space
Question 5 listed a range of ways to create open space and asked respondents about their level of
support or otherwise with a scale of 0 (strongly oppose) to 10 (strongly support). The greatest
support at 88.1% (508 respondents) was for ‘creating new urban green spaces, including small
parks’ and ‘extending existing green spaces’. The neutral (10% / 58 respondents) and the oppose
(1.9% / 11 respondents) was also the same for both. ‘Exploring development of creative open
space’ 86.1% (462 respondents) and ‘putting existing car parks underground and putting open /
parkland on top (83% / 481 respondents) and ‘promoting and encouraging green roofs and walls
on existing buildings’ (72.1% / 407 respondents) also received strong support.
Question 5 also asked about the purchase of residential and commercial buildings to create open
space. The majority of respondents also showed support for both residential (61% / 434
respondents) and commercial (72% / 412 respondents). Smaller proportions indicated that they
oppose the purchase of residential (26.4% / 148 respondents) and commercial (19.3% / 107
respondents).
Question 6 asked whether respondents to question 5 had any comments about the listed
components of the strategy. There were 169 comments received, with many comments being in
support of one or more strategies. In particular, there were a notable amount comments about the
need for more open space and sooner than the 20 years.
Some participants favoured the idea of green roofs or undergrounding car parks, with suggestions
to also build over train lines. Consideration of cost was identified by 32 respondents. A
misunderstanding of the strategy and use of the PAO tool was shown in 7 comments where
participants assumed Council was compulsory acquiring properties.
Question 7 asked whether respondents supported the use of PAO with a scale of 0 (strongly
oppose) to 10 (strongly support). The majority of respondents, representing 63.0% (or 346
respondents) support the use of this tool. A notable amount of respondents were neutral (24.4% /
134) and only 12.8% respondents (70 respondents) were opposed.
The independent and representative survey findings support and validate Council’s direction and
strategies for creating open space.

10. USING OPEN SPACE
Question 1
How often do you or members of your household visit local parks and gardens
in the City of Stonnington?
Question 2
What are all the reasons why you visit local parks and gardens in Stonnington?
Source: Corporate and Community Planning – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey Q1 – Respondents 599 of 599
Source: Corporate and Community Planning – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey Q2 – Respondents 599
Frequently (e.g. at least once a week) Frequently (e.g. at least once a month)
Rarely (e.g. once or twice a year) Never

11. What the frequent users said

12. CREATING OPEN SPACE
Question 3
On a scale of 0 (very unimportant) to 10 (very important), how important do you believe it is that
Council create new open space now and for future generations?
Question 4
Council is implementing a twenty year plan, on a scale of 0 (strongly oppose) to 10 (strongly
support), do you support this timeframe?
Source: Corporate and Community Planning – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey Q3 – Respondents 586 of 599
Important 10-7 Neutral 6-4 Unimportant 3-0
Source: Corporate and Community Planning – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey Q4a – Respondents 565 of 599
Support 10-7 Neutral 6-4 Oppose 3-0

13. What else did the 90% say?
How long should it take?
Respondents to Question 4 who oppose the 20 year plan also told us whether the timeframe is too
short or too long.
Source: Corporate and Community Planning – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey Q4b – Respondents 139 of 563

14. 63.0%/346
24.4%/134
12.8%/70
STRATEGIES FOR CREATING OPEN SPACE
Question 5
On a scale of 0 (strongly oppose) to 10 (strongly support), do you support
The following components of Councils strategy?
Question 7a
On a scale of 0 (strongly oppose) to 10 (strongly support), do you support Council using the Public
Acquisition Overlay tool to purchase land should it become available in order to create new open
spaces in the municipality?
Source: Corporate and Community Planning – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey Q5 – Respondents 536 of 580
Source: Corporate and Community Planning – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey Q7a – Respondents 550 of 599
Support 10-7 Neutral 6-4 Oppose 3-0

15. WHAT DID THE SUBURBS SAY?
Purchasing commercial to create open space
Purchasing residential property to create open space
Source: GIS – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey
Source: GIS – Feb 2015
Open Space Survey