SWAN Reserve has had many different lives and now a passionate group of green thumbs has an ambitious plan to revive it as a family-friendly native garden.
A $30,000 path network would open up the area and wind breaks would provide much-needed windbreaks for families to enjoy the open space - and even explore a dedicated butterfly garden - under the plan.
The Friends of Swan Reserve believe the water-wise garden - which is hoped to grow into a $1.3 million project over a decade - could become a valuable public space to encourage tourists to stop and discover other city attractions.
Group member Peter Furphy said Warrnambool City Council had paid for most of a $12,000 master plan which outlined several gardens within the reserve.
It would also include, a banksia bed, Mallee garden, mini-wetland and endangered plant oasis.
"Let's get a garden that's going to stand the test of time," Mr Furphy, an agronomist and nearby resident, said.
Mr Furphy said the newly formed group wanted to breathe new life into the 32-year-old native garden which was established by the Warrnambool and District Society for Growing Native Plants on the site of the city's old saleyards.
Warrnambool City Council had indicated it was prepared to help support the long-term project but local business backing would also be needed, he said.
"Warrnambool families will want to visit it and visiting families to Warrnambool will want to go there as well," Mr Furphy said.
The native garden on the former site of the visitor information centre would complement the city's European botanic garden, as well as the heritage-listed Fletcher Jones showpiece, he said.
Barwon Heads-based landscape architect Tim Nicholas, who has worked with Melbourne City Council to revamp Royal Park and has also completed private projects in Warrnambool, drew up the plans.
"It's designed as a real means of showcasing both the endangered and wider Australian regional landscape type of plants," Mr Nicholas said.
"It's all part of that gardenesque tradition of Warrnambool."
A post-and-rail fence and trees would line Raglan Parade, creating a safe open play area, which would catch rainwater and feed it through a small creek near the renovated childcare centre.
The historic walls lining Spence Street would be incorporated into the design, along with seating and signs pointing to other gardens and the foreshore area.
Friends of Swan Reserve leader and long-time native plant devotee Kevin Sparrow said the garden had passed its use-by date.
"It could be an amazing hub in the centre of Warrnambool like that and it could be a lot better than what it is," he said.
A council spokeswoman said the council was yet to consider the master plan.
All are welcome to attend the group's formation meeting at 7pm on February 16 in the Children Services Centre at Swan Reserve.
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