Phase One -2009
In 2009 Living Links completed the first phase of a Master Plan to achieve its vision – to help protect and connect natural areas and open space in the south-east of Melbourne to improve viable habitats for wildlife and improve access for people.

This first phase of the Master Plan - undertaken by consultants Spatial Vision and Beca - established a method to identify and analyse the assets in the landscape that would guide the planning and development of Living Links.

The project mapped a virtual grid of ‘landscape units’ measuring 250m X 250m across the Living Links area. Each unit was ‘valued’ according to the presence or absence of identified environmental, recreational, social or cultural assets. This provided an objective guide to where connectivity should best be encouraged and facilitated to optimise these assets in the urban and peri-urban environment.

See Living Links Master Plan Project 1 - Asset Identification and Analysis Final report here.

Phase Two - 2010
In early 2010, Living Links appointed a consortium of consultants – Urbis, Sykes and Eco Logical Australia – to proceed with Phase 2 of the Master Plan. This phase interpreted the asset data and mapping from Phase 1, and scoped a range of connectivity corridors which were worthy of consideration in the Master Plan.

An initial list of 25 possible corridors was the subject of consultative analysis with participating councils, agencies and community organizations. In October 2010, the Living Links Master Plan Discussion Paper proposed a ‘short-list’ of 13 Living Links concept corridors as the basis for the final Master Plan development.

A copy of the Living Links Master Plan Discussion Paper ‘Corridors of Connectivity’ is available on request from PPWCMA on 8781 7946 or email your request to shane.scanlon@ppwcma.vic.gov.au.