MOUNT Gambier City Council is exploring a revamp of Margaret Street ahead of the landmark Community and Recreation Hub development.
Council has started preliminary discussions around improving the overall aesthetic of the area, which has been welcomed by a prominent business owner along the inner-city street.
Power Line Environment Committee (PLEC) representatives met with council this week to outline requirements for the grounding of powerlines as part of a potential street-scaping project.
Discussing the proposal – which is in its infancy – on the thoroughfare yesterday, Anvil Electronics business owner Chris Ind said the project made sense, given half of the Margaret Street powerlines were already underground.
“To see the street’s powerlines finished off would be fantastic, – it’s a ‘no-brainer’ in my opinion,” Mr Ind said.
“It’s common-sense to get the powerlines and street-scaping all done together as that will minimise disruptions to traffic and businesses.”
PLEC chair Kevin Hamilton said the major engineering works would involve pulling the poles down and putting the cables underground.
However, he said improving the “look” of the street, was the most important part of any potential street-scaping project.
“The engineering works will make up the vast majority of the cost, but there’s no point doing all those works unless we spend the last $10,000, $20,000 or whatever it is to make the area look pretty,” Mr Hamilton said.
“We are about street-scaping the space, so that people think ‘isn’t Mount Gambier a nice place, let’s go back there again’.”
Mr Hamilton encouraged members of council’s operational standing committee to think seriously about a project around the Margaret Street site.
“We are about two years out with committed work, so this is not something we would expect you to rush into this financial year, maybe the one after,” he said.
Councillor Kate Amoroso queried if PLEC could fit in with the timeline of the opening of the Mount Gambier Community and Recreation Hub, should a project go-ahead.
“My understanding from this afternoon was that providing we got the important bits, such as the entry to the centre, into the system, we would certainly be able to get that done by the opening,” Mr Hamilton said.
“It’s your call how much money you want to spend, but I would recommend that you get the gateway done because that is the bit that everyone will see.”
While projected costs have not been established, council would be required to contribute one-third of the funds for any project.
PLEC recently approved another project in the region to underground powerlines on Sea Parade at Port MacDonnell by March 2020.
Grant District Council will contribute around $211,000, which represents one-third of the project’s cost.
If City Council was to get on board with PLEC, Mr Ind said he would like to see more distinctive signage on the street included in the designs.
“We have the Old Mount Gambier Gaol and the existing aquatic centre and the tennis courts there, but you see a lot of tourists come through that do not know where anything is because the signage is lacking a little bit,” Mr Ind said.
“Between the recreation centre and some other new developments that I believe are in the pipeline for Margaret Street, it is a great time to be a business along here.”
