Wisemans Ferry Village Upgrade
The Hills Shire Council is committed to providing a safe, accessible and visually appealing environment for the community. In keeping with this commitment, Council’s adopted Hills Shire Plan (2002-2006) identifies a specific purpose initiative that allocates funds every year for the sole purpose of rejuvenating local commercial centres.
The objectives of this initiative are to:
- Revitalise local shopping centres, improving these centres as ‘people places’.
- Reduce opportunities for vandalism, graffiti and pollution.
- Increase community partnerships.
- Improve community safety.
The aim of the initiative is to create a visually appealing commercial centre streetscape that is both safe and accessible. This is to be achieved through a joint venture between both shop owners and Council. Council will utilise available funds to upgrade those items located on public land. It is hoped that the shop owners will join this venture and equally upgrade items located within their boundaries. The overall venture, when complete, will result in a positive result for both parties.
Wisemans Ferry was identified in the capital works program for 2009-2010 for streetscape upgrade. After an exhaustive community and stakeholder workshop consultative process a master plan for the commercial centre was prepared by Environmental Partnership and adopted by council on 23.06.2009. An Action Plan in the Master Plan recommended that one of the first stages to be constructed was the Solomon Wiseman memorial or ‘Focal Space’. This is the area directly opposite the existing Wisemans Ferry Hotel.
Proposed Treatment
The proposed treatments were identified in the master plan and these were incorporated into the plans for construction.
These items were as follows:
- Extend footpath to create orientation point including seating-integration of interpretative signage incorporating Convict Trail information and Heritage of Wisemans Ferry.
- Feature Fig tree to compliment front of Wisemans Ferry Inn and enhance ‘gateway’ character.
- Retain existing driveways within street widening works,
- Incorporate sandstone Plinth for temporary art and seating to include future heritage interpretation.
- Upgrade parking zone with cobble banding. Cobble-stone banding to be 3 runs of 90x90x40mm Porphyry earth tone colours per banding.
- Review garden bed species to ensure low maintenance/ attractive frontage
- New kerb and gutter alignment to extend ‘Focal Space’.
- Street tree planting to be Angophora costata - Smooth Barked Apple and Ficus rubiginosa – Port Jackson Fig
Construction Program
Council invited six construction companies to quote on the works. The quotations were evaluated in-accordance with councils purchasing guidelines and incompliance with this process the works have been awarded to the Wilkie Group Pty Ltd of Galston NSW.
Construction is to commence in March and all works will be completed well before the end of this financial year.
Contact Details
For all matters concerning this project please contact:
Councils Landscape Projects Officer
Hans Smit - +61 2 8853 1907
Plans
Wisemans Ferry Village Centre Master Concept & Landscape Plans (614.54kB)
Wisemans Ferry Landscape Construction Drawings (1.22MB)