Following extensive community consultation, Ballina Shire Council has developed a Draft Master Plan to help revitalise Wardell village centre.
The plan identifies improvements to the riverfront and Richmond and Sinclair Streets, including the central business area, which aim to revitalise the village and support long-term recovery and community building following last year’s floods.
Council has allocated $900,000 from the NSW Government’s Local Government Recovery Program to undertake the project.
The draft plan, developed with extensive community engagement and collaboration, identifies improvements and actions in three focus areas.
Connecting to the River
Key features include:
• A riverfront pathway between Bridge Street and the War Memorial Hall to an informal riverfront parkland that includes seating, bollard lighting and picnic shelter.
• Timber boardwalk providing a public connection between the riverfront parkland to the jetty and existing repaired boardwalk.
• Widened footpath along Sinclair Street to provide accessible urban riverfront space with seating and art as an entry point to the riverfront parkland.
• Interpretative and wayfinding signage.
The Street
Key features include:
• New footpath paving and public seating areas.
• Works to protect the fig trees.
• Safe pedestrian crossing points in Sinclair and Richmond Streets.
• Traffic in the village slowed to 30km/h.
• Opening up the laneway behind Richmond Street to allow for improved footpath amenity.
• Kerb pop-outs at the Richmond Street intersection allow for planting, public seating, and outdoor dining.
• Carparking formalised to nose-in angle parking with micro-roundabouts at the Richmond Street and Swamp Street intersection to allow for turning.
• Two accessible car spaces in Richmond Street.
• Spaces for public art, interpretative and wayfinding signage.
Community Green Space
Key features include:
• Community green space at the end of Richmond Street which can be used for community events such as markets.
• Shared zone (10km/h) with additional carparking on grass to support use of the community green space.
• Public seating and sandstone block edging to support day to day community use.
• Spaces for public and community art.
• Wayfinding and interpretive signage to identify cultural, heritage and natural points of interest.
“Not all improvements identified in the Draft Master Plan can be implemented with the available funding of $900,000, however this document will assist Council to identify priority areas or seek further grant funding to progressively implement the works outlined,” explained Council’s Manager Strategic Planning, Tara McGready.
“We urge the community to provide feedback on the three focus areas. The key question is, which focus area and which improvements should be prioritised for implementation with the available funds? This will help us to determine the scope and priorities for the first stage of works.”
The Draft Master Plan is the result of an extensive community led design process that took place over several months in 2022 and 2023. This included a series of face-to-face street stalls, online surveys, ideas mapping, and a Community Design Charette Workshop.
Following public exhibition Council will consider community feedback and finalise the plan, which will then be reported to Council for adoption. This will allow Council to commence planning and construction.
Provide feedback at yoursayballina.com.au/Wardell-Village-Centre
Submissions close Tuesday 24 October 2023
For enquiries contact Council’s Strategic Planning Team on 1300 864 444.
