RAY BASTIN RESERVE

A Model of Inclusive, Sustainable and Smart Park Design

Ray Bastin Reserve in Narre Warren, City of Casey, is an award-winning inclusive park long known for its rocket-themed playground. In 2025 it was redeveloped into a regional-scale destination that balances imaginative play, active recreation, ecological connection and community gathering within a carefully designed landscape.

At the heart of the park, the iconic rocket playground has been upgraded with sensory and nature-based elements to inspire both children and adults. Beyond play, the reserve now incorporates a skatepark, BMX track, multi-use courts and fitness circuits, offering recreational opportunities for all ages and abilities.

Families and friends gather in picnic and barbeque areas, supported by universal-access paths, shaded shelters and upgraded amenities. Native planting, sensory trails and landform mounds connect visitors with the environment, while engagement with Aboriginal Elders ensured the design reflects cultural narratives and strengthens the park’s connection to Country. As part of the City of Casey’s Smart Park initiative, sensors have been installed to monitor visitor activity, amenity use and environmental conditions, providing valuable data for future planning.

A defining feature of the redevelopment is the new gathering place, originally designed around a long precast concrete bench. When budget constraints made this option unfeasible, the design team, Site Office, turned to Streetlife to provide a sustainable and characterful alternative. The space is framed by Streetlife’s Rough&Ready curved benches in FSC®-certified hardwood, which offer the same clarity of form as concrete but with far less environmental impact. Their warm materiality blends seamlessly into the natural surrounds, transforming the gathering area into an inviting hub for social interaction. The benches are fitted with hardwood backrests to encourage comfort and longer stays, while integrated armrests assist mobility and create a sense of personal space along the long seating runs. Their circular arrangement defines the communal barbeque area and enhances the sense of connection and inclusivity at the park.

This decision illustrates how natural materials can replace concrete as structural elements in public space design, achieving durability and definition while adding warmth, sustainability, and human scale. By integrating these benches, the redevelopment demonstrates how thoughtful choices in urban furniture can elevate a park from functional to distinctive, reinforcing both the character of the landscape and the community’s relationship with it.

Completed in 2025, Ray Bastin Reserve now stands as a model of municipal park renewal: a place where play, sport, culture and ecology converge, supported by sustainable materials and smart technology.

FEATURED PRODUCTS

• Rough&Ready curved benches in FSC®-certified hardwood (License number C105477)