The Darebin Creek Trail follows the Darebin Creek until it joins the Main Yarra Trail at the Yarra River, crossing through Alphington in the north-east of the City of Yarra.
Access from Alphington
For people living in the City of Yarra, i.e. in Alphington, the main problem is that there is no easy access to the trail. The existing formal access points are a significant distance to the north or south. From within Alphington, there are two options to provide access:
- Old Heidelberg Road connection
- Farm Road connection
Connection at Old Heidelberg Road
A connection at Old Heidelberg Road could be delivered a low cost by negotiating a land swap of two equal areas of land, which would enable a path to be constructed at the same height as the Darebin Creek Trail, i.e. above flood levels.
Connection at Farm Road
In 2017, even before the Darebin Creek Trail was opened, the state government committed to building a connection at Farm Road, called the Alphington Link. In 2021 a Bill was introduced into parliament to enable the compulsory acquisition of the necessary land, and the project was re-announced. In 2024 the project was re-announced again. In October 2025 the following plan was published, with construction scheduled for completion by mid-2026:
Our view
Streets Alive Yarra supports the state government proposal to build a connection at Farm Road, and we look forward to the project’s completion.
We also support a connection at Old Heidelberg Road, because multiple connections offer more flexibility to Melbourne’s (and Alphington’s) growing population to choose a walking route that best suits them, thereby encouraging more people to obtain gentle exercise more often, which aligns with the policies of local and state government to encourage physical activity in 20-minute neighbourhoods.