Since November 2020 extensive community engagement has informed the streetscape design where residents, businesses, community groups and visitors shared their vision and values with council to bring the streetscape plan to life.
The main themes identified include: having an attractive and vibrant town centre, making improvements for pedestrians and vehicle parking, and sharing Woombye’s story through a heritage trail.
Project scope
The streetscape works included:
- new landscaping including shady street trees, lawn, and garden beds to cool the footpath and beautify the town
- new street furniture including public seating, a drinking fountain with a dog water bowl, garden beds and rubbish bins
- improvements to footpaths and crossings, making it easier to cross the street, slow traffic, encourage outdoor dining opportunities and improve access for people of all ages and abilities
- new raised pedestrian crossings to improve access to parking at Hill Street and slow traffic to the town centre
- raising the existing pedestrian crossing to improve safety and slow traffic
- a new central meeting place for people to gather in front of the School of Arts Hall
- changes to some timed parking on Blackall Street to support local businesses by encouraging a regular turnover of customers
- heritage trail - through the Woombye Community and Business Association creation of a future heritage and interpretive trail throughout the town to celebrate Woombye’s heritage.
To accommodate the new footpath and pedestrian crossing works, offset parking in lower Blackall Street, Wakefield Street and Hill Street has already been implemented to ensure no net loss of parking.
Heritage trail
With the completion of all major construction activity for the new streetscape, a mini activation project was conducted for the community to be part of.
A social media frame along Blackall Street was installed to encourage the community to share their favourite memories of Woombye, to bring them to life in the new look streetscape.
Overview
The streetscape improvements were delivered as part of council’s streetscape capital works program. The project was constructed from late October 2022 - late 2023 with works staged in zones to minimise inconvenience to residents, businesses and visitors.
Council, in partnership with the Queensland Government, allocated $500,000 of the total funding under the $100 million South East Queensland community stimulus program.
Background
In November 2020, council engaged with the Woombye community to understand what you love about Blackall Street and what can be improved. As part of stage 1 ‘Have your say’ community engagement, 225 surveys and multiple conversations were completed to gain an understanding of what the community loves about Blackall Street and what can be improved.
The community were invited to have their say at several engagement events including:
- online and print survey
- sausage sizzle at the School of Arts Hall
- ‘Cheers and ideas’ event at the Woombye Pub
- community streetscape workshop held in March 2021 where the community provided further input to shape the streetscape design.
In July, council engaged the community again to present a draft concept plan for feedback. A further 261 surveys were received and analysed to help inform the final concept plan. The concept plan was also presented at a sausage sizzle and at the School of Arts Hall and a presentation at the Woombye Pub.
Contacts
For more information, please contact council’s Placemaking and Design Office via email placemaking@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.
