We love our pooches in Manningham. You've told us which dog friendly parks get your dog's wag of approval and here are your top 5 revealed.

Get out and about and test out one of the top 5 on your next walk.

5. Finns Reserve

Perfect for dogs who love a long walk. 

Duncan Street, Lower Templestowe

The surrounding bushland trails of Finns Reserve will let you and your dog be one with nature and keep away from the hustle and bustle of the streets.

In open spaces near Wombat Bend enjoy a game of fetch or tug of war. Don't forget that you will need to keep a distance of 15 metres from the playground.

Visit Finns Reserve - Wombat Bend.

4. Banksia Park

Perfect for your morning walkies

3 Templestowe Road,  Bulleen

Located near the Yarra River and managed by Parks Victoria, the off leash area at Banksia Park gives you stunning views while both you and your pooch stretch your legs.

If your furry friend wants to run off lead, the Cherry Blossom Loop of Banksia Park is fenced so you can easily keep your eye on dogs who may like to wander. 

You can also pop a leash on your pet and take a walk around the rest of Banksia Park. Bring a rug and a bite to eat and enjoy the picnic perfect park.

Visit Banksia Park.

3. Aranga Reserve

The perfect place for your dog to show off to their doggy friends.

Eastway Avenue, Donvale

This is a great place for you to train your furry companion, for socialisation or agility training.

Aranga Reserve is Manningham's dog activity hub. The fully fenced dog activity centre will help keep your dog safe while they socialise with the other dogs.

Energetic pups can jump, crawl and climb using the range of agility equipment on offer at Aranga Reserve

Why not make it a family outing, and bring a picnic to eat at the nearby picnic tables and let your children have fun on the playground.

Visit Aranga Reserve.

2. Warrandyte River Reserve 

Yarra Street, Warrandyte

Head to Warrandyte for your next dogs' day out and let them take in the sights and smells that beautiful Warrandyte has to offer.

Sit by the tranquil and picturesque Yarra River and simply watch the world go by. Or explore the walking trail with your canine companion, enjoying the natural bush area.

Finish your day with a treat at one of the many local cafes - a great day out for humans and dogs.

Visit Warrandyte River Reserve.

1. Ruffey Lake Park 

Enough space for your dogs to roam to their heart's desire - it’s the park that has it all

There are plenty of walking tracks throughout the park or if running wildly through the grass is your dog's thing, then Ruffey Lake Park is all their doggy dreams come true.

If all that running has made you and your pooch thirsty, then refresh at one of the pet friendly drinking fountains.

With plenty of playgrounds, barbecues, picnic tables and toilets, you can make it a full day outing with the whole family.

To protect vegetation in the park, there are some areas that are fenced, so please remember to keep your dog out of these areas. Plan your next trip to Ruffey Lake Park with your dog.

Visit Ruffey Lake Park. 

The 2025 Monster Community Raffle celebrates 20 years of supporting the Manningham community. 

The raffle has been helping local groups raise funds for their programs, services, and initiatives, and deliver positive outcomes for people of all ages.

The raffle is proudly supported by our raffle partner, the Templestowe Bowling Club. 

What prizes are on offer?

First prize is one $5,000 Coles Myer gift voucher.

Runner up prize is five $1,000 Coles Myer gift vouchers.
 

Who can sell raffle tickets?

Any not-for-profit organisation in Manningham can take part in the raffle. This includes schools, community groups and clubs. 
 

What does it cost?

Not for profit community groups can order the ticket books from us for free.

The only cost to the groups and organisations is the time it takes to sell the tickets.

100% of the proceeds are invested back into the community.

For every $2 raffle ticket sold, organisations will receive $1.50, and the remaining 50 cents will be donated to the Manningham Community Fund.

The Manningham Community Fund supports the welfare services offered by charitable organisations within our community.

How to order your raffle ticket books

To order your ticket books, email civicevents@manningham.com.au. 

Once we receive the order, you will be notified when the tickets are ready to be collected from the Civic Centre , 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster. 

Need help?

North East Link is inviting community to celebrate the opening of Powerful Owl Park. 

There will be a free BBQ, coffee, face painting and more.

The new soccer facility features three new pitches, a 176-space car park, BBQ facilities, walking paths and a new pavilion accessible by all.

Powerful Owl Park Opening

Sunday, 11 August 2024

10.00am to 1.00pm

Powerful Owl Park, 27-59 Templestowe Road, Bulleen

A new exciting opportunity to celebrate, develop and grow our local live music scene is coming to Manningham. 

The Live and Local program is presented in partnership with the Live Music Office, One Music Australia  and APRA AMCOS (the Australasian Performing Rights Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). It has also been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia.

The free program offers professional development workshops along with performance and networking opportunities. It will provide valuable resources and support to musicians and song writers of all genres and levels, music industry professionals, venues and businesses within the Manningham community.
 

What’s included?

• Professional Development Workshops: Gain knowledge and skills from industry experts to grow your sustainable music career
• Mentoring and networking: Spending time with professionals and meeting other local people with the same music drive as you
• Micro-Music Festival: Get the opportunity to perform at, host or attend our local Micro-Music Festival events
• Local Industry Forum: Engage with key figures in the music industry and grow your network at our free forum on Saturday 28 June, 1:00pm-4:00pm at the Warrandyte Mechanics Institute in Warrandyte. Register today!
  
   

Who’s it for?

Local musicians, song writers, bands, producers, music industry professionals such as venue bookers, gig promoters, photographers, designers, production companies, managers.

Venues and businesses with space for small live music events in Manningham. 
 

Sign up to get involved

Join us to strengthen the local music scene, improve your skills and make meaningful connections. 

We’re creating the Manningham Music Database to connect local musicians and venues for future live music programming. This database will serve as a central hub for opportunities and collaborations within the Manningham community.

We’ll begin programming as expressions of interest come in, so get yours in today. 
 

Musicians, song writers and music industry professionals

Musicians, bands, song writers, music industry professionals, producers and acts will have the chance to participate in paid events, connect with other local industry professionals, build their experience and contribute to the growth of the local live music scene.  

Apply now

Businesses and venues  

If you run a local space that could be used for live music, or if you already book live shows in your venue, we want to hear from you.

You don’t need to be a traditional live music venue to take part, you may have just a small space within your café, gallery or retail or service area that could make a great little performance area. 

Our Venues Liaison Officer can provide guidance and connect you to local musicians, other businesses and industry professionals through the program.

Apply now
 

Live Music Forum

You're invited to our free Manningham Live Music Industry Forum on Saturday 28 June, 1:00pm-4:00pm at the Warrandyte Mechanics Institute in Yarra Street, Warrandyte. 

Whether you're a musician, business or venue owner, event manager or all-round live music enthusiast, this forum is a valuable opportunity to network with us and the broader community and discuss what a thriving music scene looks like for Manningham.

The outcomes of this forum will assist us to develop professional opportunities for local musicians, inform our planning, includidng our upcoming Live and Local microfestival.

This event is free, but registrations essential.

Register now

The April issue of Manningham Matters is out this week, it will be delivered to your letterbox from Monday 14 April. 

Each issue of Manningham Matters is distributed via Australia Post’s Unaddressed Mail Service, which can take up to a week to reach all households in Manningham.

Unfortunately for the April issue, Australia Post has advised us of capacity limits with this service, which means we will be posting copies of the magazine out to some areas.

Residents and businesses in Warrandyte, Park Orchards and the Manningham areas of Ringwood North and Nunawading will receive the April issue of the magazine in an addressed envelope, rather than loose in their letterbox.

Take a read of this month's magazine:

If you haven't received your hard copy of the magazine by Wednesday 23 April and would like one posted to you, contact us.   

Your Waste Calendar will be delivered differently this year – here’s what you need to know.

This year, you will receive your waste calendar within the June issue of Manningham Matters. 

You’ll be able to simply pull out the insert, cut along the dotted line and place your calendar on your fridge or in a handy spot for easy reference.

As in previous years, the calendar will include your property’s bin day – along with tips for what can and can’t go in each bin and how to place them out for collection. 

Does the new calendar include changes to our bin collection schedule?

There are no changes to the schedule, so you can stick to your usual routine.

In Manningham, your green lid food and garden organics (FOGO) bin is collected every week, while your yellow lid recycle and red lid garbage bins are collected every fortnight, on alternating weeks.

What is the calendar for?

Our annual waste calendar can help you keep track of these collections throughout the year. 

As in previous years, the calendar will include information about:

• your property’s bin collection schedule
• what can and can’t go in each bin
• how to place your bins out for collection

Why have you changed the delivery method?

This new way of delivering your calendar within the Manningham Matters magazine is more cost-effective and efficient. It will help reduce unnecessary waste, while ensuring every household still gets this important resource.

What if I missed it?

If you misplace your magazine or need an extra copy of the calendar, don’t worry! 

You can download your waste calendar online, or, collect a copy from:

• Manningham Civic Centre at 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster 3108.
• Manningham Council Depot at 620-628 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East 3109.

Keep an eye out for your calendar in the middle of the June edition of Manningham Matters.

Stunning new botanical art displays at the Manningham Civic Centre provide inspiration for bringing the natural world into your own home or workplace.

The displays, on show until Spring, are by artist Kayla Moon, of floristry business xfloss, and are examples of biophilic design.

Biophilic design is about increasing our connection to the natural world within our built environment.

Kayla specialises in unusual large-scale sculptural pieces that combine different materials, colours and structural elements that are both beautiful and thought-provoking.

“Our work is unconventional because of the style of the materials that we use,” Kayla said.

“I love to create sculptures that are big floral monsters - more unusual, even grotesque – beautiful but a bit terrifying.”

Indeed, Kayla’s displays in the foyers of the Civic Centre and MC Square feature the dried and preserved weed Amaranthus, highlighting the beauty of what could considered a ‘monster’ outside its native environment. 

Kayla has combined the Amaranthus with the air plant Old Man’s Beard, Papyrus Sedge, and branches of Corokia to create beautiful sculptural displays.

“I’ve brought together different types of plants at different stages of their lifecycle – weeds, airplants, bushes and deciduous plants. I think it provides insights into natural materiality and the beauty of nature and how you can use flowers, twigs, rocks and other natural items as a medium.”

Biophilia refers to our innate connection with nature and was first coined by psychologist Eric Fromm in 1964. The word biophilia originates from the Greek words ‘bio’, meaning life, and ‘philia’, meaning ‘love of’, resulting in ‘in a love of life or living things’.

In our modern world, biophilic design supports connection to the natural world through practical design principals such as the use of natural shape and forms, environmental features, light and space. 

Bringing the natural world into our home and work environments has many health benefits, including relieving stress and improving our mental and physical wellbeing.

You, too, can bring biophilic design into your own home or workplace. Try some of these tips:

• Live plants: One of the easiest ways to bring biophilic design into your home is through live plants. Spider plants, snake plants, rubber plants and peace lilies are all known for their air purifying abilities and look good too.
• Texture and shape: Decorate your home with textures and shapes that replicate what you might find in nature. Materials such as wood, clay, cork or wool add a natural feel or you could find objects that mimic the patterns and forms of our natural world. 
• Colour: In colour psychology, green is known to calm and rejuvenate, so think about bringing natural colours into your home that make you feel peaceful and bring you a sense of joy, seek inspiration from sunsets, waterways and green spaces.
• Light: If you can, position desks or communal areas around windows to optimise natural light. Reflective surfaces such as stainless-steel bench tops and mirrors can help make a small space feel brighter and more expansive.
• Airflow: Open windows when you can to ensure natural air flow or invest in an air purifier. 
• Scent: Can be a powerful sensory experience. Use diffusers, candles, incense, or natural cleaning products in the home, think about natural scents such as lavender or citrus and made from natural or non-toxic ingredients. You might want to try growing herbs like rosemary, mint or thyme on your windowsill – they smell fantastic, and you can cook with them, too. 

Find out more about biophilic design from the Living Future Institute Australia.

Join us for our Inspired Living Series where you can learn about sustainable ideas from inspiring speakers throughout the year. 

Image: Artist Kayla Moon puts the finishing touches to her botanical art display in the foyer of the Civic Centre.
 

While out getting your daily exercise, you may have spotted a green sign with white text in one of our beautiful parks or along a walking trail.

These are Emergency Markers and can be your gateway to help in an emergency as they save our emergency responders time trying to locate you.

Each marker has a unique code linked to Triple Zero Victoria. When you call 000, knowing the location of your nearest marker can help ESTA quickly determine your GPS coordinates and the nearest road access point and other navigational data to help emergency responders.

We recently conducted a full audit of our Emergency Markers to identify any damaged and missing markers within our parks and along our walking tracks. These have all now been replaced so emergency services can respond quickly where needed.

If you spot a damaged or illegible marker, please report this issue to us.

UPDATED: 1 January 2025

Check out our talented creative artists who are taking centre stage at a shopping precinct near you this summer.

We have a huge program of events in store for you in the coming months as part of our Find Your Local – Summer Celebration campaign, showcasing the artistic spirit of our vibrant neighbourhoods. 

Activities and live entertainment are planned for locations across Manningham including:

•  Jackson Court
•  Tunstall Square Shopping Centre
• Templestowe Village
• Warrandyte township
• Macedon Square
• and more! 

There will also be an opportunity to get creative with chalk drawings on the footpaths.

The program will be continually updated over summer and continue through to early March. 

Keep an eye out for updates to our schedule here or follow @FindYourLocalManningham on Instagram.

For more information, contact 9840 9333 or email business@manningham.vic.gov.au. 

We’re inviting Expressions of Interest to join the Manningham Flooding and Stormwater Management Community Reference Panel, for its second two-year term.

This is your chance to make an impact on how we sustainably manage our water resources, care for our environment and manage flood risk into the future.

All Manningham residents and property owners are welcome to apply.

Learn more and submit an expression of interest via our Flooding and Stormwater Management Your Say Manningham page.

The expression of interest process will close at 11.59pm on Friday 29 November 2024. 

North East Link Project (NELP) has released designs for the redevelopment of the Doncaster Park and Ride, which you can now provide feedback on and have your say. 

The designs are within a draft Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP), which shows that the Doncaster Park and Ride will connect to a new dedicated busway along the Eastern Freeway, known as the Eastern Busway. 

The plan is to construct the facility into a modern version of its existing state (like-for-like), resulting in the Park and Ride being retained as a car park and bus interchange only, with a similar number of car parking spaces. The draft UDLP is currently on exhibition for public comment.

Council will be providing a submission in response to the UDLP to propose that the current plan is a missed opportunity to reconstruct the Doncaster Park and Ride as a mixed-use Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). 

While the facility being redeveloped into a modern interchange is positive, this is a key opportunity for TOD, which could provide wide-ranging benefits to the community, environment and local economy.

We will be advocating that there is a growing demand for park and ride facilities due to population growth and the lack of any rail infrastructure in Manningham. This is shown through the high-usage of the newly opened Bulleen Park and Ride which consistently operates at capacity, and reinforces the significant opportunity this Doncaster Park and Ride site offers for our community.

As such, our submission seeks to include a multi-level car park with increased capacity, new open spaces areas, as well as retail and other commercial opportunities. This is in-line with our commissioned 2022 site design concept which was endorsed on 26 July 2022 as Council’s preferred redevelopment outcome for the Doncaster Park and Ride site.

We ask you to join us in advocating that Doncaster Park and Ride be reconstructed to include: 

• mixed-use transit-oriented development
• increase in carpark spaces, or
• flexibility to address population growth and allow for mixed-use development in future. 

Have your say

Help shape the Doncaster Park and Ride. You can provide feedback while the UDLP is on exhibition until 5.00pm Tuesday 24 September 2024.

To find out more, or to make a submission, head to Engage Victoria.

What’s next?

Council will be considering its submission on the Doncaster Park and Ride UDLP at its meeting on Tuesday 16 September. Following this, the submission will be lodged on behalf of Council to Engage Victoria. 

NELP will consider all written comments and submissions received, before the final UDLP is submitted to the Minister for Planning for consideration.

You can read more on the Big Build website and sign up to receive email updates.