Friday 14 May 2010

The future of Cairns city centre

A major discussion paper has just been released by Cairns Regional Council.

The Cairns city centre Strategy discussion paper is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of our CBD.

This follows consultation in September last year, including, Councillors, Council officers, State agencies, Ports North, Chamber of Commerce, CBD businesses, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Cairns Convention Centre, Reef Hotel Casino, Transport groups, professional organisations and residents.

The focus was to determine the best and worst attribute of the Cairns City Centre; the one thing they would change in the city centre if they were not
constrained by any factor.

Then in October Council followed up with an extensive survey amongst businesses and CDB workers about the revitalisation of the city. They looked at best and worst assets or characteristics; traffic and transportation; accessibility; safety and security; history and
heritage; character, culture and identity; landscaping and gardens; retail and
shopping; trading hours; public art; pedestrian malls; streetscapes; building
codes; signs; public events and activities; public amenities; and public
entertainment areas.

The outcome of the survey was summarised...
  • The Cairns City Centre is the best Regional City Centre in Australia.
  • A place where people want to be for shopping, dining, entertainment and doing business.
  • A place where people want to live.
  • A tourist attraction in its own right, drawing local day visitors and visitors from around the world.
  • A vibrant, prosperous economic driver of our Region.
  • Environmentally, economically, socially and culturally sustainable.
  • A green, tropical, attractive cityscape that is safe, friendly, efficient, accessible
    and human in scale.

One of the more controversial proposals is the Cairns City Station that the Department of Transport and Main Roads is advocating. This would effectively tear a road right through CityPlace.

"[The] Department proposes a City Centre Bus Station in Lake Street between Spence Street and Aplin Street as the potential first stage of the Cairns Transit Network," the discussion paper says. "Whatever the final form of the Bus Station, it will result in significant changes to Lake Street which should achieve significant upgrading to the existing streetscape. Further, there will be a significant change to City Place which will provide the impetus for a thorough assessment of the future role and configuration of City Place."

Anyone interested should endeavour to contribute to the discussion and have your say.

5 comments:

stinhambo said...

* The Cairns City Centre is the best Regional City Centre in Australia.

Compared to what?

* A place where people want to be for shopping, dining, entertainment and doing business.

Got anywhere else planned?

* A place where people want to live.

I don't want to live in the City Centre.

* A tourist attraction in its own right, drawing local day visitors and visitors from around the world.

Cairns is a small town centre with some restaurants, booking agencies and souvenir shops. I can't think of anything of note that would make someone want to see Cairns City Centre.

* A vibrant, prosperous economic driver of our Region.

Environmentally, economically, socially and culturally sustainable.

* How about lobbying to get the National Broadband Network installed up this way or subsidising major ISPs like iiNet to get their infrastructure installed to give better value ADSL2 to residents and businesses? This will encourage businesses to operate in Cairns.

* A green, tropical, attractive cityscape that is safe, friendly, efficient, accessible and human in scale.

Remove cars from the CBD and build a light metro and comprehensive cycle network. Building codes that prevent concrete monstrosities.

Tony Hillier said...

Perusing the Cairns city centre Strategy Discussion Paper, I could not find one reference to commercial signage. Unsightly, garish, outsized hoardings and billboards have long been a blight on our cityscape — if there any doubters, they should open their eyes the next time they visit the CBD!

Any attempt to gentrify the CBD and make it an attractive place to visit will be futile unless Council imposes some control on the size and quality of signage (something they can assuredly do).

Joe South Side said...

I agree with Stinhambo,are these people living in dreamland,their summaries have nothing to do with reality,God help us if they have anything to do with the the improvements to the City Centre,

Frank said...

A quick look at the Discussion Paper reveals that statements such as “The Cairns City Centre is the best City Centre in Australia” are visions for that precinct, not current realities. Nevertheless, one of the most pressing concerns for that “vision” is the Department of Transport’s proposed bus station, which would not only open up the length of Lake Street to buses (allowing them to cross Shields Street), but also allow other vehicles to make left-hand turns from Lake Street into Shields. Although the speed of vehicles will be restricted, their noise and fumes will destroy any ambiance that City Place managed to retain after the Mushroom was erected (this ugly structure is also to go).

YK said...

There is definately a need to improve the city centre and the Lake St precinct. Firstly get the buses out of there and reopen the road to cars. Then have a good hard look at the type of shops that are there. There must be a limit to the amount of cheap Asian manufactured junk that is sold. Surely the tourists have an expectation of something better. Thats why there are none of these shops in Cairns Central. And finally clean up the area of drunks and intinerants.