Image: Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria celebrates as Werribee Park becomes the first site in its portfolio to achieve the prestigious international honour.
In a historic achievement, Parks Victoria proudly announces that Werribee Park has been honoured with the prestigious Green Flag Award, marking the first time a Parks Victoria site has received this esteemed international accolade.
The Green Flag, a symbol of excellence in park management and green space quality worldwide, signifies Werribee Park’s adherence to stringent standards. The park’s exceptional management practices, provision of access to top-notch open spaces, and the commendable efforts of volunteers, staff, managers, and local residents were pivotal in securing this recognition. Werribee Park’s stellar performance in horticulture, heritage preservation, events, and community programs also contributed significantly to its successful application.
Nestled on the traditional lands of the Bunurong People, Werribee Park spans 121 hectares along the Werribee River in Melbourne’s western suburbs. The park, renowned for housing the heritage-listed Werribee Park Mansion and the internationally acclaimed Victorian State Rose Garden, stood out for its Working Beyond the Boundaries community engagement program. This program, which sees over 200 volunteers contributing weekly to support the horticultural team, received special commendation. The volunteers, hailing from diverse backgrounds, bring various abilities and skills, uniting in their dedication to maintaining the park’s lush gardens.
James Brincat, Chief Ranger for the Werribee Plains Area, expressed gratitude to the park’s staff and volunteers, highlighting their seamless collaboration in making Werribee Park an outstanding destination.
“Werribee Park really punches above its weight. We have a fantastic team who are dedicated to their job and often go above and beyond what’s required. We’re also blessed to have over 200 volunteers who come in each and every week to do everything from gardening and sewing to education and interpretation,” James said.
“The teams here have created a culturally safe place for people of all backgrounds and abilities to feel welcome and enabled to contribute to Werribee Park in really meaningful ways, and I believe the Green Flag award is recognition of that.”
Parks Victoria Chief Executive Officer Matthew Jackson applauded the well-deserved recognition, emphasizing the positive reflection on the Parks Victoria team and the Werribee Park community.
“Parks and reserves are so important to our general health and well-being that it’s a real credit to the team at Werribee Park that their work has been recognized as world-class,” Matthew said.
“This Green Flag Award is the culmination of the tireless efforts and countless hours our fantastic rangers and staff at Werribee Park have put in to make it the much-loved community space it is.
“Congratulations are also in order for the many community groups and individuals who have selflessly volunteered their time in the park, as it’s this community engagement that really makes Werribee Park a standout,” he added.
The Green Flag Award, a non-profit international accreditation program managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, serves as a benchmark for the management of recreational public outdoor spaces. With over 2,400 parks in 17 countries having received the Green Flag, Werribee Park now proudly stands among the world’s elite green spaces.
