Strathalbyn streetscape project

Major funding announcement

Council has secured grant funding from the State Government’s Planning and Development Fund for the Strathalbyn Town Centre Revitalisation project. The Minister for Planning announced a contribution of $536,000 towards the project. Council will finance the remaining fifty per cent of the $1.072m total project cost.

The project is an outcome of the Traffic, Parking and Streetscape Plan completed for Strathalbyn in 2017 and was developed as part of the Strathalbyn Development Town Plan (2014-2020) following extensive community consultation. This exciting announcement will help deliver a revitalised Strathalbyn town centre and will transform parts of the current road network space into usable, safe and landscaped public spaces without loss of car parking spaces.

Key components of the project will be a footpath along the eastern side of Sunter Street in front of St Andrews church connecting High Street and Dawson Street and the reconfiguration of the Rankine Street and Albyn Terrace intersection. This notorious Strathalbyn hot spot will include car parking and a green space to improve traffic management and safety around this corner. Another feature for the project is the development of wayfinding signage that identifies and directs, the some 24,000 visitors each year, to discover the hidden treasures of Strathalbyn – a secret worth sharing.

Glenn Rappensberg, Council’s Chief Executive Officer highlights that two important elements of the project are to better utilise open space and improve traffic management to foster vibrant enjoyable places for people.

“These core elements combine to bring the town centre to life and support a walkable, vibrant and people focused town centre environment. Improved amenities and increased functionality of the town centre will support the economic growth of Strathalbyn.

By utilising existing facilities and encouraging the community and visitors to spend more time in Strathalbyn, this will ultimately create opportunities for existing and new commercial traders to grow their business and create jobs in retail, tourism, hospitality and event management,” he said.

With funding now secured, planning and detailed design work will commence with an anticipated project timeline of 18 months, works are expected to commence in mid-2020. The Strathalbyn project is one of 31 projects across the state that the Marshall Liberal Government is investing $13.3 million towards, with an aim to help make our state greener, preserve open space and build local community infrastructure.

Alexandrina Council proudly announces funding secured for the Strathalbyn Streetscape project, pictured is an artist’s impression of the Rankine St/Albyn Tce intersection as developed in the Strathalbyn Traffic, Parking & Streetscape Plan.