Since November 2023, when the project’s planning and investigations commenced, we have actively engaged with key stakeholders and community leaders to gain insights into their roles within the broader Gouger Street community and identify areas of vested interests and potential risk.

As the project entered the pivotal phase of concept design, introductory letters were issued to all residents and businesses within the project area in February 2024. One on one engagement continued and subsequently, interested businesses, residents and community members were invited to participate in collaborative Concept Design workshops which commenced an intensive program of engagement in March.

Continuing into the second round of engagement in May 2024, the process enabled the project team to acquire a thorough understanding of community priorities and concerns and capture a wide range of design comments. This informed the development of the project’s vision, design principles and design strategies in response. Based on community inputs, the design development evolved into a Concept Plan which was presented to and endorsed by Council’s Elected Members on 25 June 2024. You can review the Concept Plan Engagement Pack here and read the Engagement Report for details of engagement activities and key findings here.

We are pleased to share the complete draft Concept Plan with the community, demonstrating how the stakeholder feedback we gathered has informed and been incorporated into the plan.

Technical feasibility, budget constraints, existing Council assets, and consultation responses will guide us in refining key elements of the Concept Plan as it progresses to the next phase of Detailed Design. Your feedback is appreciated to ensure that the Gouger Street project achieves optimal outcomes for the entire community.