Golden streetscape for Mount Morgan
Published on 27 January 2017
The Central Business District in Mount Morgan is set to receive a facelift after Rockhampton Regional Council unanimously decided to inject a further $1.3 million in funding for the Morgan Street revitalisation project.
The increase in funding will support all civil works, placing the above ground electricity supply underground, street lighting, landscape construction, public art, public furniture, shade structures, enhancements of historical artefacts, a new gazebo, the refurbishment of the existing toilet amenities and a show stopper.
Chair of Rockhampton Regional Council’s Parks, Sport and Recreation Committee and Division Five Councillor, Cr Cherie Rutherford, said that Council listened to what the Mount Morgan community wanted and this funding delivers on their aspirations.
“Improving the visual appeal of Morgan Street was raised as a priority by Mount Morgan businesses and residents through the Council’s Community Conversation meetings,” she said.
“Since then, we have held discussions with the community, collected their ideas and developed a streetscape concept that is very exciting for Mount Morgan.”
Community engagement revealed that residents wanted to see gazebos, tables, chairs, shade, inclusion of historical artefacts such as the Mafeking Bell and also having a show stopper.
Councillor Rutherford said the show stopper is a crucial piece of the streetscape, acknowledging the cultural connection to the ‘Tree of Knowledge’.
“This will be the piece that says to tourists, ‘pull up in Mount Morgan and enjoy!’” Cr Rutherford said.
“The show stopper is a set of architecturally designed steel structured arbours that will have bougainvillea growing through them. This will provide a beacon of colour, shade, functionality and pays homage to the tree of knowledge,” she said.
“At last year’s Mount Morgan Community Conversation meeting the community applauded our landscape architect for this design. That was a special moment. I knew at that point we got it spot on.”
Council has been successful in securing funding towards the estimated $1.91m cost of the project with grants obtained from the Queensland Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning and the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
Member for Mirani, Jim Pearce, said the revitalisation project was a great initiative by Rockhampton Regional Council for the town of Mount Morgan.
“It is always great to see councils acknowledging the needs of communities, and in this particular instance Rockhampton Regional Council have done an exceptional job of recognising what the Mount Morgan community wanted,” Mr Pearce said.
“Small regional towns are bound together by a sense of community and the renewed Central Business District will provide a more inviting meeting place for Mount Morgan residents.
“I am proud to have been part of the planning process and am looking forward to the final outcome.”
Council is currently undertaking all preliminary design and planning works to allow construction to commence after the Golden Mount Festival in May. The redeveloped streetscape works aim to be completed before the end of the 2017 calendar year (weather permitting).