Closing the loop

  • What we're delivering

    Following two stages of community engagement, we're delivering the following upgrades for Staniland Grove:

    • a new public toilet that improves safety
    • more garden beds with native plants
    • more seating options, including benches and picnic tables
    • shade from new canopy trees and custom arbours
    • a vibrant wall mural
    • a raised pedestrian crossing for better safety and accessibility
    • more amenities like bike hoops and a recycling bin
    • new pavement, street furniture and trees in front of Elsternwick Library.

  • What's next

    Works are scheduled to start from April 2026, when weather conditions are best for planting.

Engagement summary

We asked for your ideas to help improve the pedestrian experience along Staniland Grove in Elsternwick.

This happened in two stages:

  • First, we collected broad feedback to help shape the draft design.
  • Then, we shared the draft design for community feedback.

Stage two engagement on the draft design ran from 9 June to 29 June 2025. During this time, we received 53 pieces of feedback, including:

  • 23 survey submissions.
  • 30 community member comments from an in-person pop-up.

You can read a summary of what we heard in stage two via the link below, or explore the full Engagement Summary Report.

Stage two

We shared the draft design for community feedback.

Stage one

We collected feedback to shape the draft design.

How your feedback shaped the design

Community feedback helped shape and refine the design for Staniland Grove over two stages of engagement.

After stage two, we made several key changes to the design:

  • Public toilet: We’ve moved the new toilet further south to improve sightlines to and from the laneway and the car park behind Australia Post.
  • Garden beds: Minor changes to increase garden bed areas and improve pedestrian safety.
  • Shade: Adjustments to the custom arbours to provide more shade, based on community feedback.
  • Additional features: Two bike hoops near the post office and a recycling bin on the eastern side of Staniland Grove.
  • Library forecourt: We’ve expanded the scope to include new pavement, street furniture, and trees in front of Elsternwick Library.

Community engagement — Stage 2

Street improvements for Staniland Grove

Our Better Streets, Better Places program is about making our streets safer, more lively and easier to get around — for everyone.

Staniland Grove in Elsternwick is an important pedestrian link between the Glenhuntly Road shopping strip and Elsternwick Library and car park.

In stage one, we asked for your ideas on how to make Staniland Grove in Elsternwick a more welcoming and enjoyable place for pedestrians. In response to the feedback received, we have prepared a concept plan to improve the street

How your feedback shaped the design

For more information on what we heard in stage one — view the engagement summary or read the full engagement report.


You told us the current public toilet feels a bit unsafe — especially because it’s large, sits close to the footpath, and blocks views into the space. In response, we’re reducing the overall footprint of the toilet to open up the area and improve visibility for pedestrians.

We’re also exploring small-scale lighting options to help make the area feel safer at night.

Cleanliness was another key concern. While the design of the new toilet will be confirmed through a future tender, we’re prioritising materials that are easy to maintain and allow for natural ventilation.

We also heard a strong preference for non-automated toilets, which are generally more accessible and inclusive for our diverse community.


You asked for more green space — and we agree!

We’re adding new garden beds and redesigning their layout to make the space more inviting. These will feature native plants suited to our local climate, helping support biodiversity and add colour and life to the street.


We’re upgrading the existing seating while keeping the variety you said you liked — including a mix of benches and picnic tables.


We’re replacing the current shade umbrellas with custom arbours featuring climbing plants — and we’ll extend these across both sides of Staniland Grove.

We also heard your preference for natural shade options, so we’re planting six new canopy trees to provide long-term cooling and comfort. This will include the replacement of an existing street tree on Staniland Grove — with a tree species that better supports local biodiversity.


To bring some extra colour and local character to the area, we’re planning a mural on the exterior wall of the Australia Post building. We want to hear your ideas to inspire this artwork — share your thoughts in the survey below.


We’re improving pedestrian safety by installing a raised pedestrian crossing — and removing the fencing to improve access.

We’re keeping the things you’ve said are important and useful like the drinking fountain and the defibrillator.


While significant improvements to the Elsternwick Library forecourt and car park are outside the scope of the Better Streets, Better Places project, we’ve found opportunities to make small improvements. We’ll be planting two canopy trees near the southern car park entrance to add some welcome greenery and shade.

Based on your feedback, we're also exploring some minor renewal works to improve the look and feel of the library entrance.

Concept plan 🌷

Before After
Staniland Grove, Elsternwick — Concept Plan

Planting 🍃

Materials 🔨

Public toilet 🚻

The below image is an example of the proposed public toilet facilities — and the final design will be subject to a future tender.

Have your say 💡

Community engagement on the concept plan is open until Sunday 29 June.

Have your say by:

  • 📝Completing the survey below — The survey should take 5–10 minutes to complete.
  • 📍 Joining us at our in-person pop-up at the corner of Staniland Grove and Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick on
    Thursday 19 June,     11am–1pm.
  • 📞Calling to speak to a member of the community engagement team on (03) 9524 3333.
  • 📩Emailing your feedback to engagement@gleneira.vic.gov.au.

You can also request a hard copy of the survey form to be posted to you.  To request this, contact us via email or call us (03) 9524 3333.

​Privacy collection notice

Glen Eira City Council is committed to protecting the personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic). The privacy collection notice explains the purpose for which information is collected, and how we will use and handle the information. You can view the privacy collection notice for this project here: Privacy Collection Notice.