CBD visionary mural captures community’s aspirations

Published on 02 September 2016

Rockhampton Regional Council has captured the community’s shared vision for the Rockhampton CBD and has a clear picture of where it wants to go with the redevelopment of the City Heart.

Council recently commissioned artist Adam Busby, from Buzz Studios, to create a visual representation of the community’s thoughts and ideas for how their city might look in 15 years.

Using community feedback from the ‘Reimagine the Rockhampton CBD’ online survey undertaken as part of Council’s CBD Redevelopment Framework Project, a mural has been created as a visionary roadmap toward realising some of these community imperatives and aspirations.

The artwork incorporates key feedback received from the engagement, including aspirations for a vibrant, thriving city with green, leafy streetscapes, strong links to its heritage and a cohesive, inviting space for all. Job growth, tourism and economic development was also highlighted, including a focus on technology and innovation.

Rockhampton Region Mayor Margaret Strelow said it was vital to keep the community informed of how the Council was building its CBD strategy around the community’s priorities and desires.

“We are always looking for fresh ways to engage the community and incorporating a range of ideas in a mural is an excellent way of capturing the sentiment and spirit of how the community sees the CBD in the future,” Mayor Strelow said.

“We have loved listening to what the community wants a revitalised CBD to look and feel like and we are now putting those ambitions into action and making the dream a reality.

“While the dream might have a 15-year timeframe, we are establishing what we can do in the short, medium and long term and pushing full steam ahead with making it happen.”

Division 6 Councillor Drew Wickerson, whose division incorporates the CBD, said it was “fantastic to see such an enthusiastic response”,

“Terrific artwork like this is an innovative and creative medium to clearly communicate the diversity of identified elements that will, over time, create a vibrant, exciting, sustainable and economically prosperous heart of our Region,” Cr Wickerson said.

The majority of the 300-plus respondents expressed a positive attitude towards redevelopment of the CBD.

The CBD vision mural is currently on display in the Kern Arcade and will available online in digital format soon.