Artist’s impressions showing how some of the proposed elements of the draft foreshore master plan could look, including a information and discovery centre (above), cuttlefish-themed splash park and upgraded boardwalk (below).
Explore and contribute to foreshore vision
The next stage of Whyalla’s exciting foreshore redevelopment is here, with Whyalla City Council once again seeking the community’s input on their vision for the area.
Following extensive engagement and consultation earlier this year, council has overseen the preparation of a draft foreshore master plan and is now keen for further consultation.
“This is the community’s foreshore, so this upgrade needs to represent the community’s priorities, needs and aspirations,” Mayor Clare McLaughlin said.
“We can only achieve this if residents take part in this next round of consultation, so that we know what they like about the current proposals and what they want to see prioritised.
“This is critical to ensure we can stage the priority works and projects in the first few years, with others to occur over the next two-to-ten years.
“We’ve already done some initial testing with several small community groups who gave us some really positive responses, so now we’re ready to hear from the broader community.”
Some of the key aspects of the draft plan include:
- A discovery and information centre
- Unique cuttlefish-themed splash park
- Diverse pop-up commercial offerings, including in the evening
- Connectivity between the foreshore, Hummock Hill and main street precinct
- Private investment
Mayor McLaughlin said the master plan was also pivotal in attracting tourists to our great city.
“We’ve had unprecedented visitor numbers since the opening of our unique jetty – which has proven extremely popular – so we’re keen to build on that and create even more reasons for people to visit, stay and spend money at local businesses,” she said.
“This will also provide a boost for both the state and national economies by encouraging people to travel and spend – as long as it’s safe to do so – so we’ll be seeking extensive funding support from the State Government; the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions fund; as well as the private sector.”
Council is making the draft plan available in a number of formats to ensure as many people as possible can provide feedback – it’s currently on council’s website and physical copies can be requested by visiting / contacting any of council’s sites.
This will be followed shortly by numerous face-to-face workshops and an online survey– be sure to keep an eye on council’s website and Facebook page for ongoing updates.
