An artist's impression of riverbank enhancement
QUEANBEYAN mayor Tim Overall announced the next big move in his CBD beautification master plan this week, promising an estimated $3 million upgrade to Monaro Street just ahead of next month's Council elections.
The street from Lowe Street down to the Collett Street riverfront would be in for superficial upgrades and enhancement of the overall finish of the area, including new planters and shrubs, upgraded furniture and streetlights, enhanced footpath surfaces and crossings, and the creation of a more "pedestrian friendly" riverfront area.
Cr Overall said the main street was looking "tired and unattractive".
"The whole objective is to make it more appealing to shoppers and existing businesses.
"Currently it's pretty much a drive through street with little appeal to visitors, and at the end of the day, the vision is to make it appealing so that people passing through say to themselves 'well isn't this nice. We should stop here.' At the end of the day, that's the test," he said.
Cr Overall also said works could be completed without the major disruptions to business and shoppers that occurred during the Crawford Street upgrade, which caused some affected businesses to lose 40 per cent of their regular trade over eight months.
"I do not envisage any disruption to business trading during the works. To the contrary, the staged improvements will be a drawcard from day one," he said.
The works would take place on a staged basis and be funded through a combination of budgetary allocations, reserves, Section 94 developer contributions and potentially grant funds.
Upgrades to Monaro Street are detailed in Stage 2 of the Queanbeyan CBD Master Plan, a document Cr Overall was instrumental in developing from 2004.
"On being first elected to Council, I put forward a motion that Queanbeyan needed a visionary CBD Master Plan to revitalise and enhance our city centre - this was achieved.
"In 2008 I announced the creation of the Crawford St Lifestyle precinct - this has also been achieved. If re-elected the new council will focus on Stage II implementation being Monaro Street," he said.
Cr Overall's team of election candidates also proposed beautification works to the Karabar shops and $1.5 million in new cycle paths if elected on September 8.
