Certification & Acknowledgements - Narrabri Facilities...Certification & Acknowledgements...

Certification & Acknowledgements 2014 © All About Planning Pty Ltd AAP Reference: 2011 – 015 This report has been prepared in accordance with an agreement between All About Planning Pty Ltd and Narrabri Shire Council. In preparing this report, All About

Planning Pty Ltd has used and relied on:

1. Data, plans and information provided by Narrabri Shire Council as detailed in this document.

2. Responses received during the first round of community consultation undertaken for this CBD Masterplan Project,

as detailed in this report.

3. Detailed site inspections by the full consultant project team, being:

o Michelle Chapman, Principal Planner, Director ALL ABOUT PLANNING and Project Team Manager

o Peter Chapman, Principal Planner and Director ALL ABOUT PLANNING

o Rupert G.H. Milne Home, Landscape Architect

o Glen Holdsworth, Traffic Engineer and Managing Director, TTM Group

o Jocellin Jansson, CBD Masterplan Community Facilitator

The Project team is pleased to have worked with local Chamber of Commerce representatives, Councillors and Council staff, other CBD users and shop owners to

achieve a Masterplan that will move with Narrabri during their anticipated period of growth and which also meets the community’s current needs.

All About Planning thanks all those involved and acknowledges their valuable contribution and time.

For and on behalf of All About Planning Pty Ltd.

Michelle Chapman Certified Practicing Planner Master Town Planning Bachelor Urban & Regional Planning (Hons), MPIA, CPP Director – All About Planning Pty Ltd

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Narrabri CBD Masterplan is a key document guiding future CBD upgrade work and strategic

planning initiatives. Positive economic and social outcomes for the Narrabri CBD have been

provided for together with significant streetscape and amenity improvements.

The Masterplan contains a community vision and associated plans for the future development and improvement of the

Narrabri CBD. Key recommendations are made concerning future land use, open space, traffic management, parking,

the pedestrian environment and urban design. The Plan includes objectives and strategies for action to address current

and anticipated future CBD needs.

This Masterplan has the potential to transform and improve the function and appearance of the Narrabri CBD but no

change will occur without individuals from Council, Government and the Community working together to actively

engage with the strategies and details set out in the Masterplan.

KEY OUTCOMES

The Project team was pleased to have worked with local Chamber of Commerce representatives, Councillors and

Council staff, Advancing Narrabri and other engaged CBD users and shop owners to achieve a Masterplan that will

move with Narrabri during an anticipated period of growth and which also meets the community’s current needs.

Local community participation throughout the Masterplan project was fundamental to development of the Masterplan.

Community stakeholders assisted in defining key issues, local CBD needs and opportunities and strategic priorities.

Issues, objectives and priorities were articulated during a range of community and stakeholder consultations, with the

following key final outcomes:

• Masterplan recommendations generally agreed apart from no change to current nose in parking within Maitland

COUNCIL’s PRIORITY WORKS:

• Lighting in core area of

Maitland St

• Tree Planting

• Create a gateway entrance to

CBD at Highway intersection

with Doyle St

• Add Pedestrian Refuges to

Tibbereena St/Highway

• CBD Directional Signage

• Increase Parking in CBD –

introduce time limits and re-

mark Council car park to

achieve 10 additional spaces

• Crossing Theatre car park

Entry/Exits

• New seats and pergola

structures in CBD Core

• Security Cameras

• Roundabout to intersection of

Doyle and Barwon St

Street’s core block, deletion of the original proposed side tree plantings in the Commercial Centre along Maitland Street and deletion of the proposed centre

tree plantings in Barwon Street.

• Identification of priority works and indicative costing of these works for staged implementation by Council and other stakeholders.

SPECIFIC CHANGES TO DRAFT PLAN FOLLOWING EXHIBITION

A number of changes were made to the Masterplan following public exhibition, in consideration of Council and community feedback. The key changes were:

• Not to proceed with centre parking proposal for Core CBD Block (due to preferred traffic arrangement and recognising existing road profile).

• Removal of side small to medium sized Tree Plantings in Maitland Street’s Core CBD and Commercial Precincts (to better manage landscaping).

• Relocation of large tree plantings in Barwon Street to side of street to replace original proposed smaller side tree plantings. No centre plantings now proposed

for Barwon Street (to ensure street able to continue to accommodate wide loads).

• Retain height of circular wall at each CBD block end, where new seating is proposed under a new pergola structure (as provides better community outcome).

• Post Office Courtyard public seating area proposal will not be actively pursued due to lack of current support from Australia Post.

• Addition of a Tree Planting Schedule in addition to original Landscaping Palette to provide additional location specific planting detail.

• Identification of Priority Masterplan works to assist in staged planning implementation and detailed costing by Council and other stakeholders.

• Preparation of a Spreadsheet Cost Summary Estimate for Priority works based on typical unit rates for key works items.

• Additional town planning detail in respect of proposed developer contribution and parking concessions proposed for the Core CBD precinct and key priority

redevelopment sites.

Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

2.0 CBD MASTERPLAN AREA 3

3.0 METHODOLOGY 6

4.0 CONSULTATION OUTCOMES & VISION 9

5.0 PRINCIPLES & OBJECTIVES 11

6.0 PLANNING PRECINCTS & DESIRED FUTURE CHARACTER STATEMENTS 15

7.0 PROPOSALS FOR ACTION 29

7.1 PRIORITY WORKS 30

7.2 TRAFFIC AND PARKING 32

7.3 LANDSCAPING 45

7.3.1 LANDSCAPE SPECIES BY STREET 46

7.3.2 PALETTE OF TREE SPECIES 67

7.3.3 TREE PLANTING 73

7.3.4 TREE PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE 76

7.3.5 SHRUB AND GROUNDCOVER PLANTING 77

7.4 STREET LIGHTING 78

7.5 TOWN PLANNING 80

7.5.1 VACANT CBD SHOPS 91

8.0 IMPLEMENTATION & REVIEW 93

9.0 ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS 98

10.0 CONCLUSION 102

ATTACHMENT 1: THE MASTERPLAN 103

ATTACHMENT 2: MASTERPLAN WITH AERIAL 105

ATTACHMENT 3: COST GUIDELINE 107

ALL ABOUT PLANNING

FINAL Narrabri CBD Masterplan Report Volume1- 2014 Page 1

1.0 Introduction

Narrabri’s Commercial Business District (CBD) is changing and will continue to change over time in response to economic, social and lifestyle trends. All About Planning

was engaged by Narrabri Shire Council to prepare a CBD Masterplan for the Narrabri Community, which takes account of this change and identified current and future

community needs.

This Masterplan, which is in two volumes, sets out an integrated vision, supported by key planning and design strategies, to guide Narrabri’s CBD growth and development

over the next 15 years. Volume 1 (this volume) contains the Masterplan, a discussion of alternatives and implementation details and Volume 2 contains relevant

background and other supporting analysis and documentation.

The objectives and strategies set out in this Masterplan – Volume 1, have been developed through consultation and discussion with many CBD users and key stakeholders

as well as careful analysis and research undertaken by the consultant team, much of which is detailed in Volume 2 of the Masterplan.

Local community participation throughout the Masterplan project was

fundamental to development of this Masterplan. Community stakeholders

assisted in defining key issues, local CBD needs and opportunities and

strategic priorities.

Community issues, objectives and priorities were articulated during a range of community

and stakeholder consultations, which took the form of:

• Two public information and discussion forums

• A Survey of all CBD Businesses

• CBD User Postcards

• Separate face to face meetings and/or telephone discussions with identified key

stakeholders including:

ALL ABOUT PLANNING

FINAL Narrabri CBD Masterplan Report Volume1- 2014 Page 2

o Narrabri High School Student Leaders from Years 7 to 12.

o Relevant Narrabri Shire Council Staff and Councillors.

o Chamber of Commerce Representatives.

o Presentation to the ‘Advancing Narrabri’ Group.

o Personal conversations with a number of CBD business owners.

• A report to the elected Councillors of Narrabri Shire Council in December 2011.

• Formal public exhibition of Draft Masterplan Design Concepts and

proposed Planning Approach.

Overarching CBD Masterplan Goals

The Narrabri CBD Masterplan will:

• Be informed by Council and the local community

• Be practical, place-based, people centric, priority motivated and action focussed

• Reflect local identity and protect local uniqueness

• Facilitate walkable and connected CBD precincts

• Focus on long term community sustainability, from an economic, social and

environmental viewpoint

• Aim to concentrate CBD employment opportunities in the primary commercial blocks

• Enhance CBD tourism and Newell Highway ‘through traffic’ opportunities

A Masterplan is a strategic plan of action

that guides and informs change in accord

with the identified aspirations and values of

government, business and land owners,

CBD users and the broader local

community on which the plan is based.

A plan of action for Narrabri’s CBD area is needed which

sets out a clear vision for the future, including economic,

social, cultural and environmental objectives and strategies.

The plan of action includes proposals for physical CBD

works as well as recommended changes to the current town

planning framework for the CBD.

Masterplans are used by many communities around the

world as a tool to guide ongoing staged CBD precinct

upgrades, to inform new planning controls and to facilitate

desirable CBD development outcomes.

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2.0 CBD Masterplan Area

Narrabri CBD Context

The township of Narrabri is located 560km north west of Sydney and 580km southwest of Brisbane and is well serviced by road, rail and air. To the north is Moree

Plains Shire with Walgett and Coonamble Shires to the west. Gwydir Shire and Tamworth Regional Council are to the east and Gunnedah and Warrumbungle Shire

Council are to the south. The figures following show the surrounding Shires and the location of the CBD relative to the Newell Highway which runs along part of the

western and northern edge of the Masterplan study area.

Figure 1: CBD Study Area Identifiers

Narrabri Shire is located in the North West Slopes and Plains of NSW in the Namoi Valley. The landscape of the Shire is one of flat open plains to the west and steeper

land associated with Mount Kaputar and the Nandewar Ranges to the east. The Shire had a population of approximately 14, 000 persons at the 2006 Census and an area

of 13, 065 sq km. The Shire is known for its high value Cotton as well as wheat, beef cattle, lamb and wool.

ALL ABOUT PLANNING

FINAL Narrabri CBD Masterplan Report Volume1- 2014 Page 4

Narrabri is the main town centre for this region, with the other two largest towns being Boggabri and Wee Waa. Narrabri’s CBD is located within the heart of this

established and prosperous agricultural area and which in recent years has also seen significant mining sector investment.

The Study Area

The CBD Masterplan study area includes sites fronting Bowen Street to the south,

Killarney Street to the north, Barwan Street to the east and Tibbereena Street

to the west and which includes Maitland Street (being the main commercial street

of Narrabri).

The CBD Masterplan Study Area was divided into five precincts, as highlighted in

the following Precincts Plan.

Section 5 of this Masterplan Report contains further details relevant to each of

these precincts, including recommended desired future character statements

for each area.

Figure 2: Masterplan Study Area