Riverfront upgrade's next stage gets $450,000 in funding
Riverfront upgrade's next stage gets $450,000 in funding
The Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation and Coorong council will also get cash from the Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Program.
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The next stage of Murray Bridge’s riverfront redevelopment is about to go ahead thanks to a $450,000 federal grant.
A huge shelter will be built on the city’s wharf to protect riverboat passengers from the weather and give shelter to picnickers.
It could even serve as a performance space: something more permanent than the marqee used for events such as Murray Bridge’s Christmas carols, but not as expensive as the grand plan for a riverfront stage which was rejected by councillors five years ago.
Its design will be similar to a shelter which is about to be built next to the Murray Bridge Club.
Vehicles will still have access to the loop road along the wharf, as the shelter will be tall enough that cars and buses will be able to drive underneath.
It might not be the flashiest announcement but, as Mayor Brenton Lewis said, it would bring the council closer to completing its $38 million riverfront master plan.
“This is actually doing things, not talking about it,” he said.
The Murray Bridge council’s infrastructure and assets general manager, Heather Barclay, described the shelter as a “key foundational piece” of a planned tourism and history precinct.
Other pieces would include the city’s new war memorial, the wharf itself – which the council hoped to rebuild next – and possibly a visitor information centre and cafe.
“If we get this bit right, it builds on the rest,” she said.
“It’s the connection piece.”
In the longer term, the council also hopes to develop a play precinct near the bunyip and an accommodation and/or events precinct in the back half of Sturt Reserve.
It is currently waiting to hear whether it will get more federal funding for the project through the Building Better Regions Fund.
The same fund provided $1.3 million towards the first stage of work at Sturt Reserve and almost $500,000 towards Murray Bridge’s rowing centre.
Coorong parklets, Ngopamuldi nursery secure funding
Two other local projects also secured federal funding through the Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Program.
Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation will get $250,000 for a system which will allow staff to more easily distribute fertiliser to the seedlings they grow at a nursery on Adelaide Road, Murray Bridge.
The corporation’s CEO, Walter Jackson, said the project would create jobs for Aboriginal people.
“The community is extremely excited to see them go ahead and expand into more opportunities,” he said.
The Coorong council will get $159,000 to establish “parklets” in its town centres.
Looks like history repeating as this new Shelter will in some way bring back, something that long time residents will remember, the old "Wheat and Barley Store" ( long tall posts leaning with a corrugated iron roof on top - see photos on pages 244 & 245 of Across the Mighty Murray history book ) that stood behind the Wharf and protected the bagged grain that was unloaded off the Riverboats & Barges prior to being loaded onto train wagons and transported to our and other flour mills. - I also note the reference in the story to " - and possibly a tourist information centre and cafe." which sounds like someone needs to do some more research on these subjects as how many "Permanent Cafe's" will be financially viable in an area and "Food Truck" style mobile units may be all that is required and with regard to the Tourist Information Centre - we need to take a look at other centres close by like Goolwa Tourist Information Centre which has recently won State Awards and it is located at the river end of their Main Street on the Main Road through their town and why is it now located there - because it was previously located at their Wharf Area and it was proven over quite some time that that was NOT the location for maximum tourist visitation.
This roof is way too high to provide shelter as sun and rain can beat in and no shelter from the wind - just like the entrance to the new emergency department at the hospital where people have to wait outside without shelter until let in by staff.It seems no thought is given to what works just appearance. Are there tables and seats available - if not what is the point?