THREE Warrnambool City councillors have returned from a fact-finding mission with ideas on how to best implement the city centre revitalisation project.
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Councillors Ermacora, Gaston and Askew travelled to Mackay, in north Queensland, last week to meet with local business owners and council teams involved in the city’s revitalisation project.
Cr Ermacora said Mackay was 14 months into its project, with three months to go.
She said there were a number of ideas they took away from the meetings which could be used when Warrnambool’s project gets under way.
“Some of our officers had been up there and when they came back they said we really needed to see a project in action,” Cr Ermacora said.
“We met with their project team and economic development department, who are working hand in glove on the roll-out, and we spoke with business owners.
“The take-away for me was there will definitely be inconvenience for everyone. It won’t be easy.
“One of the business owners we spoke to was the chief naysayer before the project started, but is a total convert and is its biggest champion.”
Cr Ermacora said the Mackay Regional Council had worked closely with business owners to make the process as easy as possible.
She said the council’s economic development team had helped businesses adapt to the disruptions and then laid down plans for the future.
“That was something they have done really well, they have realised that investing in the infrastructure alone won’t revitalise business,” Cr Ermacora said.
“There were also a number of principles businesses and council signed on to, things like ensuring 100 per cent access during business hours, keeping the street pedestrian accessible and around car parking.
“In terms of parking, we are lucky in Warrnambool because of our off street parking areas, but we will have to develop a strategy about how to best handle that situation when we start our revitalisation.”
Cr Ermacora said it was also good to see how quick work could be completed, highlighting a 48-hour footpath changeover.
“We saw the work happening and then two days later we were walking on it,” she said. “We got a really good feel for it all and some good ideas on how we can implement our city centre revitalisation project.”