Oaktree Rise Estate

Oaktree Rise Estate provides an opportunity for home buyers to build new, sustainable and energy efficient homes at the centre of an established rural township. The Estate provides local retail, active recreation opportunities and sustainable transport options servicing not only new residents, but the greater community of Narre Warren North. The estate consists of 149 elevated residential lots, a boutique retail strip, community hub, constructed astride the restored Troups Creek and new Central Park.

Oaktree Rise was highly commended at the UDIA Awards for Excellence in 2013 (Residential Development of 250 lots or fewer).

Urban Design

Oaktree Rise Estate has been designed to be pedestrian friendly and contains a path network consisting of various uses, widths and materials including:

• 2.5m wide granitic gravel shared pedestrian and horse path
• 2.5m wide shared concrete path throughout the Central Park
• Three pedestrian bridges
• Interconnecting footpaths throughout the estate

Lot layout

The Oaks along the Avenue of Honour, were protected and celebrated. As a memorial to the local servicemen and women who contributed to the war effort, these have been given pride of place. These significant trees have been protected and placed within an 8m reserve, this reserve houses a footpath. There are no driveways permitted in the reserve. All lots fronting Main Street have been designed with rear access and are serviced from within the subdivision to limit disturbance of the Oaks.

Landscape

The prevailing landscape character of Narre Warren North prior to this development had a distinctive atmosphere. The design retains this sense of place in five key ways:

• The retail centre and surrounds provide a mix of flowering native and exotic plants that complement the prevailing character of existing open space and highlight the existing significant trees in the area;
• Street trees provide a mix of species both native and exotic which have been chosen to maintain the Township feel of Narre Warren North;
• The waterway and rain gardens feature a mix of indigenous plants planted in swathes and rows to provide habitat for native flora and fauna;
• The communal spaces such as that in front of the retail centre are paved in muted colours so as to blend in to the surrounds;
• The tower provides a marker and meeting point for the community easily seen from within the development.

WSUD

At Oaktree Rise Estate, allotment drainage and road reserves discharge into rain gardens. The planting of many locally indigenous species within the rain gardens facilitates the removal of nutrients prior to runoff entering the rehabilitated waterway. This assists in maintaining a healthy waterway with the cumulative effect of attracting native species including frogs and birds. Post development flood risk has been alleviated through the elevation of lots and provision for detention ponds.