Tasmania’s Kingborough Council is undertaking an innovative project that will result in professional design and economic development plans for four of its local towns.
In May, Council will host a team of 20 professionals from the United States. “They will bring their diverse range of skills to a unique and intensive design exercise called ‘Charrettes’,” said the Mayor, Cr Reg Gee. “The team is made up of graduate planners, architects and landscape architects from Ball State University in Indiana.”
The focus of the Charrettes will be determined by each local community meeting with the team in a series of workshops. The project will cover specific issues such as a master plan for each town, overall design themes and presentation, as well as business, economic and tourist development ideas.
“We will have the opportunity to use the collective skills of a professional team, working directly with residents, Councillors and Council staff to focus on the interests and concerns of each local community,” the Mayor continued. Outcomes from the ‘Charrettes’ will dovetail with Kingborough’s planning scheme review and the recreation and open space review, both now underway.
Kingborough believes this initiative will be a first for Tasmanian Local Government and is one of four design Charrettes to be conducted by the Ball State University team while visiting Australia in May and June. Over the past decade, 40 similar charrettes have been conducted by the University as part of its post graduate education program.
Council will contribute to the team’s expenses while in Tasmania and is seeking community participation by ‘Home Hosting’ members of the team as part of the ‘community involvement’ process. Councillor Gee said that the cost of the exercise will be minimal when weighed against the cost of Council trying the undertake such an exercise itself with its own limited resources.
For further information contact Rick McClean, General Manager, telephone (03) 6229 5555.
