Golden Plains Shire Council’s Northern Streetscapes Project will improve the main streetscapes of Smythesdale, Scarsdale and Linton.
Council has secured a $650,000 funding commitment from the Berrybank Wind Farm for the Northern Streetscapes Project and is seeking feedback from community members of Smythesdale, Scarsdale and Linton and surrounding towns to inform designs for the project.
The Northern Streetscapes Project will deliver beautification upgrades to enhance the character of the three town centres that form the northern corridor of Golden Plains Shire along the Glenelg Highway, popular with residents and visitors travelling in and out of Ballarat.
The works will focus on minor streetscape upgrade works and placemaking improvements that could include improving accessibility and connectivity, review of pavement treatments, modification of parking arrangements, vegetation succession planning, and improving road and pedestrian safety. Options for the streetscape additions include increasing accessible street crossing areas, reviewing the location and abundance of trees and other roadside vegetation, and addressing street furniture provision such as seating, bin covers and bike racks.
The Northern Streetscapes Project will be delivered with respect to Regional Roads Victoria road safety standards, noting that this beautification project does not encompass major modification of road alignment, major intersection upgrades or undergrounding power. Works on the Northern Streetscapes are scheduled to begin in late 2021.
The Northern Streetscapes Project survey is open until 9 June and can be completed online at Council’s website: goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations. Paper copies are also available at Council’s Customer Service Centres, 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn or The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale. Completed paper surveys may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to: Golden Plains Shire Council, PO Box 111, Bannockburn, VIC, 3331, marked ‘Attention: Northern Streetscapes Project’.
On Saturday 29 May, stop by an in-person engagement session at the Scarsdale General Store from 9am to 10am; The Well in Smythesdale from 10.30am to 11.30am; and the Linton Larder Café from 12 to 1pm to talk about ideas for the Northern Streetscapes Project.
Mayor Cr Helena Kirby says the Northern Streetscapes Project in a valuable initiative for the northern towns.
“At our recent Councillor engagement sessions in Scarsdale, Smythesdale and Linton, we’ve had some quality conversations with local residents about the improvements they would like to see in their township areas. We encourage our community members to share their thoughts on the Northern Streetscapes Project and also on the upgrade of the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail, as part of the Three Trails Project.”
“Council is very pleased to deliver the Northern Streetscapes Project and we thank the Berrybank Wind Farm for investing $650,000 to improve this popular corridor in the north of the Shire. This fantastic project will beautify the streetscapes for local residents and attract more people to enjoy the drive out from Ballarat to visit and spend money in our northern towns.”
For more information on the Northern Streetscapes Project, click here.